Viruses and the Noro
by ETangent
Summary: Following the events of episode 24, things seemed to be peaceful ever since Tagitsuhime was sealed away. The peace was short-lived as an infamous U.S military general, who is known to brutally experiment with viruses, takes great interest in the Noro/aradama. A new nightmare has awoken.
1. Important Note

Hello all. This is my first attempt at a story. I've had this idea floating around while I was watching the show. I saw the similarities between the noro/aradama and the viruses from the Resident Evil universe. I wanted to make something of it. In this story, Yukari will still be head of the Special Sword Administration Bureau with Maki and Suzuka as her elite guards.

-Thank you,

E. Tangent


	2. Prologue

Note: I appreciate the review left behind! Let's start this and early apologies if this ends up not being good along the road.

Prologue

It was a cool, quiet night outside of Castrop-Rauxel, Germany. There was but a single road that stretched across the large, grassy terrain, giving it a breathtaking view for anyone who ventured across it. On the road was a lone limousine that was leaving the city after a meeting of some sort.

"Do you really think it is okay to meddle in the upcoming election in such a way?" said an intern who's just starting to realize what kind of company he was getting himself into. He was wondering what he would tell his relatives about this. Maybe this was one of those sketchy insurance companies he heard about from time to time.

"It's fine, son. Just relax. This is totally legal," replied the CEO who had his eyes glued to the stack of money he was flipping through.

The older man did not seem to budge at all. Not even to look at the beautiful scenery outside. The vehicle had just passed under an unfinished bridge and it was then that something caught the young man's attention.

"Ehh… I guess. But why did you-", the intern paused as he looked out the window. "Sir! Look outside! Up ahead!"

"What is it, son? What's outside?" the CEO was squinting his eyes as he looked out the window as he was trying to figure out what exactly caught the young man's attention. "My God… Stop the car! Now!"

The limo driver slammed on the breaks, causing the passengers to jump out of their seats. They were lucky that they haven't just finished eating or else they'd have a mess in the costly limousine. Who knows where the money for it came from?

"Aghhh…", was all the CEO could muster as he rubbed his temple. "Alright. Let's go check it out."

"It's pretty cold out here," stated the intern. The other man soon stepped out of the car.

Both men made their way towards the point of interest. They climbed over the guardrail and were careful not to slip on the moist grass. What they saw was something they could have never imagined. There was a graveyard of grotesque-looking monsters who were in the process of decaying. Some were human-shaped, with their ribcage clearly exposed, with one having its heart hanging out. Others had such strange shapes, with tentacles strewn all over. The older man, trembling, slowly walked into the area. What grabbed his attention was a humanoid who was covered in this fleshy, pink skin, as if its human skin was peeled off. Its mouth agape and full of sharp teeth. Monsters born from awful experiments involving viruses. Some of the monsters who were once human.

"What the fuck is this?!" whispered the intern. A whisper that was loud enough to be even heard by the limo driver.

"Y-you know what?" slowly said the older man. "L-let's get the hell out of here! You n-never know if these things will come back to life. You and I weren't here!" he said as he pushed the intern towards the car. "Move your legs, boy! Come on!"

After getting on the car, they quickly took off. The limo screeching as it accelerated. The creatures were quickly left to rot.


	3. Chapter 1

Important: I don't own any of the Toji No Miko characters or monsters from the Resident Evil franchise.

* * *

Chapter 1

_1 month later_

"I don't think I'm passing that test," Kanami slouched as she walked out of class. She regretted staying up really late practicing with her okatana. To be more accurate, her regret came when she couldn't answer three questions in a row. She understood quite a few of them and hoped she got them right.

"Cheer up, Kanami-chan. This was just one test. There'll be more opportunities," Mai reassured Kanami with a smile. "But you also have to pay attention in class."

"That class is so boring," Kanami sighed. "Let's just get to practice."

"Kanami Etou and Mai Yanase. Please report to President Hashima's office. Again, Kanami Etou and Mai Yanase. Please report to President Hashima's office." blared the speaker in the hallway.

"Oh no! Are we in trouble?" Kanami gasped. Her gasp was followed by laughter from the other students. Mai was hoping they weren't. She was very sure they haven't done anything recently that would warrant a trip to her office.

Kanami and Mai were quickly making their way to the said office. The little trip was accompanied by a few laughs while others were wishing them luck on whatever mission was possibly planned for them. Upon opening the door after arriving, they were greeted by President Hashima sitting at her desk. By her look, it almost seemed like they were really in trouble. A glare that made both girls slightly nervous.

"Kanami. Mai. Glad you made it. Have a seat," said President Hashima. She then smiled. "Don't worry, girls. You're not in trouble and I apologize for that announcement."

"That's a relief," Kanami said, forcing a smile.

"Why did you call us? What happened?" Mai said.

"Being former members of Mokusa, I have important things to discuss with you two," began Hashima. "First of all, have you girls heard of a virus? Along with the creatures that come as a result of experimentation using them?"

"No, ma'am." Kanami and Mai almost said at the same time.

"I mean. I mean I've heard of the kinds of viruses as the reason why people get sick." Kanami then added.

"Get ready for this lecture." She then proceeded to lower down a projector screen using a remote control. She turned on the projector and the first slide to appear showed a gray picture that showed a bunch of cells. "There is a whole universe involving them. According to data available to the public, a virus is: 'a microscopic particle that can infect a host cell.' Terribly vague definition. Countless experimentations have been done over the decades beginning around the 60s. A common exposure is through injection of the virus with a syringe while another form of exposure is inhaling it. Subjects of such experimentations were plants, animals, and even humans," Kanami gulped at that last statement. "The mutations that were observed varied from one virus to the next. Some showed visible mutations while others were more subtle. Imagine having a scorpion's tail ripping out of your back. Many different kinds and classes of viruses exist. I won't get into those now."

Kanami slowly put a hand on her back and wondered if one would just randomly pop out.

"That all sounds pretty scary," Mai commented. Her goosebumps weren't helping her at all.

"Definitely," continued the president. "I want to show you some of the monsters that have been created. I'll warn you. They're frightening. And another thing, these monsters don't really have a general term. Call them however you want." She then clicked a button to move on to the next slide. One slide showing one image of the monster. "Here we go." _Click._ "The Bloodshot." _Click._ "The class of J'avo mutants." _Click._ "The Shrieker." _Click_. "U-3. This one in particular wasn't created by a virus but instead by fusing the DNA of a human, insect, and reptile into one parasite. Parasites are a different story but similar to viruses. This next one worries me." _Click_. "The Ubistvo. You can see that its prominent feature is the right arm being a large chainsaw. I pray that you girls or any other Toji never encounter this thing. It is very violent and its erratic movements make it dangerous. It does not choose sides. Place it in a group of Toji and aradama and it will attack whoever is closest. It is said that it's only deployed during special circumstances."

"Okay. That's enough," said Kanami. She was slumped in her chair. Thinking about how such things exist in the world. Something no Toji has ever faced before.

"The reason I bring all this up is because General Wilbur O. MacArthur from the United States is planning a visit. Keeping this between a few of us will prevent any mass hysteria as long as word does not spread. He is notorious for experimentation involving viruses. With a group of researchers, he's developed the Omni virus, a clone to the Prototype virus. A virus that enhances strength, speed, stamina, metabolism and regeneration. What's worrisome is what his intentions are with the Aradama and the noro. Just what is he planning?"

"Is there a way to stop him? Maybe we can figure out where he's going to land." Mai suggested.

"It'll probably cause commotion and word will get out. She said that we're trying to keep this between a few of us," Kanami suggested.

"You are correct, Kanami. This won't be an easy task because of two possible reasons. He may have back-up and he may also be the carrier of the Omni virus or something similar. You girls have no experience fighting these creatures," the older woman commented.

"So what can we do?" Mai asked.

"For now I want you girls to go back to your dorm rooms and try to relax a bit. We'll be looking into it in the meantime."

"Will do, ma'am. Thank you." Both girls were uncertain of what the future now holds.


	4. Chapter 2

Note: Hello. I apologize for being slow to update the story. I'll try to pick it up once summer starts. Here is the next chapter.

Chapter 2

Francisco woke up in a dank, cold, dim prison cell in the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. The temperature of the cell was the complete opposite to the weather outside of the walls since the prison was located in what looked like the middle of a desert. The only source of heat came from the small window that was inconveniently placed towards the ceiling. He was confused as to how he ended up there. The days before his imprisonment was all a blur to him.

"Fuck. What day is it?" Francisco groaned. Sitting on the bed, he was trying to make out his surroundings, allowing his vision to adjust to the dimness of the cell. He first noticed a small, yellowish puddle with drops of contaminated water coming down from an old pipe. He looked around a bit more and stopped once he saw a large shadowy figure sitting on a bed across from him.

"Looks like you're awake," said the large man in a deep voice. He was dark-skinned, bald and a few tattoos that etched the left side of his face. His tall and muscular appearance made him the kind who would be unforgiving if he were in a bad mood.

"Who the hell are you?" replied Francisco. He has seen a lot of horrid things throughout his life but the appearance of the other man was somewhat menacing.

"And who are you to be speaking to me like that?! Do you have any idea who I am?" yelled the other man while standing up.

"No I do not nor do I care," Francisco may or may not have some regret after saying that. He knew something was coming to him but would do his best to endure it.

"My name is Bones and I run this prison. I will make sure you never forget who I am."

The taller man walked over to Francisco and towered over him. He grabbed him by his prison garb and lifted him off the bed. Francisco seemed not to care about the situation he was in. Bones then threw him across the room and his back slammed against the frame of the bed.

_Dammit that hurt!_ Francisco thought while groaning. He was rubbing his back as he was still on the floor. Now he knows that this guy does not mess around. Was he really this quick to violence? He was only rude. The slam caught the attention of the prisoners of the neighboring cells.

"Guys! He's going to kill another one! Come hear this!" yelled another prisoner from the cell right next to the one Francisco was in.

"Wait! Another one?" Francisco was surprised to quickly learn what murderous psychopath this man was.

"Shut it!" Bones replied as he grabbed him and tossed him towards the wall adjacent to the bed. He moved over to him and gave him several punches and then again tossed him one last time against the cell door. The sounds of the slams were followed by cheers from the other prisoners. Even though they couldn't see what was going on, they cheered as if they were watching it happen right in front of them. The miserable condition of the prison was temporarily alleviated whenever Bones had some fresh meat within arms reach.

"Damn. You're strong." Francisco said as he slowly stood up while laughing. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his fist.

"Just what are you? Any other man would be on their knees begging me to stop. How are you still okay?" Bones was taken back at how the younger man stood up after the beating he got.

"I'm a soldier. I've been through a lot... I've seen a bunch of shit." Francisco sighed as he tried to think of what to say next. "Look. We got off on the wrong foot. Let's just start over."

"Sure…" replied the other man while still surprised. He sat down on the closest bed.

"You said you run this prison. Really? How so?"

"I am feared here. I can get others to do what I want. I am king."

"What about the guards?"

"They listen to me as well. Money does funny things to people. This small part of the world is messed up. Show some of these poorly-paid guards a wad of cash and they instantly obey. This prison is far from saving. It's hopeless," Bones let out a light chuckle. "I run a business right from this cell. That's how I got rich."

"Why haven't you escaped or something?"

"This is my home now. I built a life here. I can't picture being anywhere else. I have what I want here and in just a short amount of time too. People who obey me and I can run my business."

"'ey! What happen? Didja kill him?!" Yelled one prisoner from down the hall while shaking his cell door.

"Quiet! Or you will be in this cell very soon!" Bones threatened. His roaring voice caused the whole floor to be completely silent. Francisco was amazed. He wished he had that kind of authority.

"That was good," he commented. Bones only nodded in approval.

"American, huh? Or maybe you're from Latin America?" Bones replied looking at Francisco's features.

"I'm from the United States." Francisco replied and then Bones shook his head. Maybe he had a bad experience with them.

"I cannot forgive you Americans. You ruined my village. Experimenting on my people. You took everything from me," He took a good look at Francisco, particularly his glowing red irises, and thought, _You too, huh?_ "Men, women, and children. A number of us got lucky to escape. Go to hell, MacArthur. If he was here in the cell right now, I swear," Bones did a choking gesture with his hands. He would quickly lunge at him the moment he ever saw him.

"Wait a minute. MacArthur?" Francisco said with a shocked expression. He knew the man too well. As a matter of fact, he used to work under him not too long ago.

"Fuck that man. My wife and children are dead because of him! He turned them into these zombified monsters and I had no choice but to kill them when they attacked. My beautiful children," Bones was in tears as he remembered the last time he saw their smiling faces.

"I need to know where the hell he is? I need to get out of this prison. I cannot let him continue ruining other people's lives. We both want him dead. There are a very few of us who know what kind of monster he is."

"What was your relationship to him? You seemed surprised when I mentioned his name."

"I used to work under him until recent. I had a realization after mindlessly following his orders almost got me killed."

"Glad you changed your ways. News spreads fast and I heard his next move is Japan. I don't know the exact reason as to why he's headed there but I'm sure he's going to create hell there."

"Dammit! You have to help me get out of here," Francisco said as he kicked the door. He was hoping that MacArthur hasn't gotten there yet.

"I will break you out but only if you promise to avenge my family and our village," Bones pleaded. He was very different from when Francisco first met him. Maybe his position in the prison is how he copes with the loss of his loved ones.

"I will. I can promise you that."

"It will take a few days of planning unfortunately. I know I said I run this prison but I can't just pay guards to easily release you. It's a whole complicated process involving paperwork and I'd rather not waste unnecessary time doing that."

"Damn. Alright then. Let's get planning."

"I'll tell you where to go once you get out of here."


	5. Chapter 3

Note: Hello all. Here is the next chapter. I had fun writing this one.

* * *

Chapter 3

Kanami was lying in bed, thinking about what was discussed earlier with President Hashima. Her left arm resting on her forehead and her other arm hanging off the side of the bed. She never bothered to turn on the lights or change out of her uniform. The meeting was scary but she was thinking about what the future would hold now that she knows this. Will MacArthur quietly operate behind the scenes while everyone goes about their daily lives or will he unleash an all-out attack once he has accomplished all that he needed? Maybe he will do both? Does he harbor the Omni virus, something similar, or something stronger than that?

"Is a Toji even capable of fighting these monsters? How different are they to aradama?", Kanami asked herself. Her head was full of questions. Who else knows this? Other than Mai, do any of the rest know? How will they each react? Groaning, she hid herself under her covers. She was going about her day and then this heap of unsettling information came crashing onto her like a vehicle. Soon after, there was a light knock on her door. Slowly getting up, Kanami lazily walked to the light switch and turned on the lights. She hesitated a bit while holding onto the door knob and then opened the door. She was greeted by Mai smiling.

"Hi Kanami. Sorry to disturb you," Mai said. "I wanted to know how you are taking this so far."

"I'm fine. I don't think it's anything we can't handle," Kanami nervously laughed. Mai knew Kanami well enough to know when she was lying. The way she laughed didn't sit right with her. "It's just a lot to take in. We're introduced to a whole new world, you know?" Mai couldn't help but agree. "To tell you the truth, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared by the whole thing."

"I'm scared too, Kanami. I've been concerned with what direction all this will go. Since the rest were also part of Mokusa, they were most likely given the same information in some way. The way they've taken it is what I want to know."

"Seriously?! The rest really do know?", Kanami was relieved she and Mai weren't alone in this dilemma. She was dying to know what the others thought. She was especially curious to know what Hiyori's opinion about this was. She liked her determination when they were up against Yukari and wonders if she would hold the same vigor should they have to fight against MacArthur.

"Yes they do. They want to meet up and discuss it. Good thing tomorrow's Saturday," Mai replied. "Oh! By the way. All this made me nervous so I ended up baking these. Looks like I baked a lot more than I thought."

"Mai-chan's cookies! I love these!" Kanami quickly snatched the cookies from Mai's hand and roughly undid the string. It's as if the cookies have the power to wipe whatever Kanami was worried about off her mind.

"I do have a question though. If the virus enhances speed, strength, metabolism, etc., why does it look like people are against it?" Mai questioned.

"Maybe it has a downside that they aren't telling us about." Kanami said as she had her mouth full.

* * *

Hiyori was sitting at her desk in her room and opened her laptop. To the side of it was a notebook that had details about the lecture she had with President Gojou regarding MacArthur's visit. She was determined to do research on him. She stared at the search engine for a few moments and took a deep breath. She began by slowly typing in the name "General Wilbur MacArthur" and hit the search button. She clicked on the first link that appeared and it lead to a well-structured biography. The biography was lengthy in detail but Hiyori wasn't interested in his personal life. She was mainly focused on anything that has to do with viruses. The picture on the right showed a man wearing a uniform fit for his status with the caption that read "MacArthur in 2014". He appeared to be in his late 40s to early 50s.

"Let's see. Military general from the United States. Okay. He's the grandson of the late five star general Douglas MacArthur. That's interesting but nothing out of the ordinary there though," She quickly skimmed while looking for important key words but did not find anything. After scrolling a bit more, she reached a section of the biography that caught her attention. "'Controversy'," she paused and then proceeded to read on. "'There has been a cloud of speculation regarding MacArthur's alleged illegal experimentations using an unnamed unstable virus. Sources that have not been verified claim that he paid a lot of money to the governor of Cairo so he can carry out experiments on the people of a remote village in the countryside.' Is there a way to find out if this is true?" Hiyori found herself uncomfortable by what she was reading.

She opened a new tab and typed his name again. An article that she found interesting was called _Wilbur Orville MacArthur: What happened in Cairo_. She clicked on it and read on. "Is this one of those sources that weren't verified?" The article went into detail about the illegal experimentations in Cairo. "'MacArthur took advantage of the ignorant inhabitants by promising them superb happiness and future well-being if they participated in his experiment… The virus that was given to them was an early prototype to what will then become the Omni virus… The virus started to take effect after a while and those with weaker bodies instantly died from having their insides ruptured with foam in their mouths. Others turned into these vicious zombies and attacked… There were those who fought against MacArthur's words and decided not to go through with it. They unfortunately had to fight off family and friends. They were the ones who were lucky to escape, leaving everything behind.'" Hiyori slammed her laptop shut.

Hiyori was sitting at her desk for a few moments trying to digest the information she found. How can someone like that exist? It appears as if he does not discriminate when it comes to choosing potential targets. She spent a small part of her life fighting against the Aradama. Will whatever army MacArthur has at his disposal be more difficult to fight or would they surprise her and be more easier? She recalled the conversation she had with Kanami about how people were used for experiments with noro. She soon got up and went over to her bed. The moment she lied down her phone started ringing, causing her to jump.

"Hiyori-chan?" came Kanami's voice from the other end. "How are you doing?"

"Kanami," Hiyori answered after a pause. "I'm doing okay."

"Good!" Kanami was always happy to hear Hiyori's voice. It felt soothing to her. "Hey, listen. I heard you've been given the same brief information about MacArthur and I wanted to know what you thought about it."

"I'm scared, Kanami. I did some research and this man is horrible." Hiyori replied. Kanami put the phone aside for a moment to squeal at how adorable Hiyori sounded when she was scared. When she heard her name through the phone again, she quickly placed the phone by her ear.

"What did you find out Hiyori-chan?" Kanami was curious as to what freaked her out.

"I found out that there's a possibility that he was responsible for a lot of deaths in a village in Egypt. Supposedly he paid the governor to do so. Kanami. Men, women, and children died. All this for the sake of experimentation. Does he have no remorse? You don't think he will do the same thing here? I mean going as far as wanting to massacre every Toji or at least a large amount of them?"

"Hiyori-chan." Kanami was trying her best to remain strong and it showed. It was true that she was scared of such a reality. What Toji wouldn't? "Let's do everything we can to prevent something that massive from happening. With all of us, he won't stand a chance."

"Are you sure? We don't even know him. He himself may be a carrier of a virus."

"I am sure, Hiyori-chan. We've fought a lot of Aradama together. We even fought Tagitsuhime, Hiyori-chan! Twice!"

Hiyori hopes that their experience in fighting aradama will be enough to face the upcoming danger. This will possibly be the Great Disaster of Sagami Bay of their generation.


	6. Chapter 4

Note: Hello all. Here is the next chapter. Bear in mind that the first half of the chapter takes place 3 days into the future while the second half takes place in the present like the previous chapters.

* * *

Chapter 4

_3 days later_

Francisco found himself wandering through the desert for what felt like a couple of hours. In reality it's only been about half an hour. The scorching temperature was starting to take its toll on him. Enough that he was starting to miss the cozy atmosphere of the cold prison. Through all this, he was trying his best to remember the directions left to him by Bones. He was hoping this place that Bones was directing him to would be a huge help in his effort to stop MacArthur. It bothered him that the man did not give him written directions. At the same time, the heat was making him feel like maybe all this is not worth it and to let whatever heroes are in Japan take care of the problem. Nevertheless, he must press on and not let the freedom go to waste.

_Once you're out of here, it will get tough out there. First you will travel in a straight line from the door you got out of. Do try your best not to turn left or right. You'll get lost and then all this will go to waste. I'm not having a search and rescue team look for your dumbass. After a while, you'll eventually reach the Nile. Once there, you will travel in the opposite direction of its flow. Give that travel a little time and you will eventually reach a bridge. Cross it and again, keep traveling in the opposite direction of its flow. You will soon find a wonderful farm that has a white barn with a blue roof. My parents live there._

"I'm glad I still remember the directions but damn. Fuck this heat. How do you have a farm in this desert? And how does that man know these directions?" Francisco said while wiping off sweat. His put his hand in his pocket and fished out a small container that was full of red pills. "I do wonder how these things will help me in the long run. And how and where on Earth was he able to obtain them? These look illegal," The label was dirty and the name of the pills was a little faded but one could still make out what it said. The label read: _Virus Suppressants_.

"_I know you're a carrier of a virus, American. I can tell by your red eyes. I couldn't really tell at first though," Bones pulled a trunk from under his bed and placed it on top. When he opened it, one would say that it was full of useless junk. Empty picture frames, broken glass, scraps of paper, empty bottles, small bundles of cloth, and a few writing utensils."You're going to want this. These pills will suppress the effects of the virus. I'm giving them to you because I don't know what virus you're infected with. I don't want you to create a bloodbath while in Japan. Or maybe your virus won't make you go berserk. Who knows? I don't know how long these last. The important thing is that these will conceal your red eyes so others aren't suspicious. If you decide not to take them, then use these sunglasses instead. One last thing I want to give you. Take this letter and give it to my parents. Please." _

"Will his parents be alright with seeing me in this prison outfit? Will they call the police to send me back?" Francisco said while walking alongside the river. He was lost in thought and didn't realize he had reached it. If the temperature was tolerable, he's spend a few moments looking at the amazing scenery. He was also lucky to already be walking in the right direction as Bones has instructed. Good thing a small miscalculation can easily be corrected if he weren't walking in a direction opposite to the flow.

"Going berserk is definitely something I don't want to happen again," Francisco said as he recalled a battle he did not want to remember. He doesn't know whether that state of rage happens every now and then or it was only a one-time thing. He won't have to worry about that any time soon because he had already taken one of the suppressants moments after he was out the door. He regrets that now since he felt like the boost in abilities would help him endure the scorching temperature. If one were to ask him how he felt after taking one of the pills, he would say that he does not feel any different. Only his irises are the only physical thing that changed for him in terms of appearance.

He had finally arrived to the said bridge and stopped dead for a moment. The appearance of the bridge brought back memories of the life-changing night in Germany about a month ago. He stepped to the side to see a small walkway under with water flowing by it. He could see himself under the bridge covering his stomach after being mortally wounded. He remembered just sitting there tearfully thinking that that's the end. Thinking back to how he obeyed MacArthur without a second thought and immediately hating all that. Not knowing where he came from or who his parents were. Soon after it hit him that he had the Omni virus in his pocket that he stole from a research facility in town. The decision to inject himself to save his life was a decision that will forever change who he was.

"Alright, man. We got a job to do," Francisco said shaking his head. He rushed across the bridge and kept on going in the same directions afterwards without looking back. What happened happened. One can only move on. "The other bridge had a road that ran under it anyway."

It was only after running for a while that he started to feel dizzy. He can barely make out what looks like a farm out in the distance due to the blurriness caused by the heat. In reality, he was closer than he thought. He was about half a football field away. Breathing became difficult and he found it hard to press on any further. He then fainted after walking a few steps.

* * *

MacArthur sat in a military aircraft that was on its way to Japan on what he calls a "very important business trip." He looked out the window and thought about what he can do to weaponize the aradama and create his own army of super soldiers. He feels as if he has unlimited possibilities on what kind of monsters they would be. He wanted to have several kinds for a myriad of situations. A monster specifically designed to kill Toji hung there somewhere on his mind. One that can adapt to their fighting styles by quickly coming up with countermeasures. A smile crept on his face when he thought of a future that was well within his grasp. The aircraft was soon over a location he knew.

"Sagami Bay. The cursed bay where the aradama incident occurred around 20 years ago. Their ignorance about how to handle the noro led to the mess," then with a chuckle, MacArthur added, "Failures."

Before MacArthur planned the trip, he made a deal with a failing pharmaceutical company to aid in his research in exchange for large sums of money so they can fund theirs. He made various phone calls along the way to confirm some of the details. Gaining their trust took major effort but he was able to pull some strings in the end. What they do not realize is that anybody was a valuable target for research. He was considering whether to use the scientists as guinea pigs. He pulled down a computer screen and turned it on. The screen showed a few pages and pictures.

"Yukari Origami did not do well the aradama. She could've been very powerful but was defeated by Toji. That was embarrassing," MacArthur was practically disgusted. "Tagitsu comes back again for another round and again she's defeated. What kind of villain was she? Get out of my sight," MacArthur said as he slid the picture of Tagitsuhime out of the screen. He then pulled open six pictures of Toji. "Kanami, Hiyori, Mai, Sayaka, Ellen, and Kaoru. You six saved the day, huh? You all show promise of becoming excellent subjects for my research on creating the ultimate soldier."

The jet was getting close the location he wanted to land in. He planned to land in Mount Amagi because it was close enough to Sagami Bay and was the location of the pharmaceutical company's hidden facility. Anticipating the conflict that will ensue during his time in Japan, he came prepared with various samples of the Omni virus stored in a briefcase. He was even prepared to fight head-on if he needed to. He wasn't going to let anybody stand in the way, Toji or not.

Getting up when the craft landed, he made his way to the lower part and stood before five soldiers, one of them a new recruit, who were sitting by a door that led to the exterior of the craft through the back. He looked at all of them and felt certain that they wouldn't fail him.

"You five will serve as my guards during this expedition. You will not fail me nor will you consider it. Especially you, newbie. You will strike down anybody who gets in the way. Civilian, soldier, Toji alike. Is that understood?" MacArthur waited for the unanimous yes and the five quickly responded. "Good. Now get up. We have a lot of work to do."

The five moved to the side to let MacArthur through to open the door. He undid the lock and stood at the doorway for a couple of seconds. The backside of the craft opened its door and the six stepped off.

"That's him, right? Should we make a move?" Suzuka whispered to Maki. Both of them were hiding behind a shrub as they watched the situation unfold in front of them. They saw MacArthur step down from the aircraft while carrying a briefcase. Behind him were five soldiers and at that moment Maki thought it would be reckless to attack. A moving truck was already waiting for them and the five got in the back.

"Making a move now seems risky. We don't know the nature of the soldiers and MacArthur himself might attack."

Sensing people nearby, MacArthur stood behind the opened truck and signaled for the new recruit to get off. MacArthur closed the back and walked to the passenger's side of the truck. He got on and truck drove off, leaving the young soldier behind.


	7. Chapter 5

Note: Hello, all. I apologize for taking too long on this chapter. I've been busy these past few days. There was mistake on the previous chapter. Towards the end of the chapter, I replaced "Toji" with "people". I think it would make more sense that way. I also deleted the sentence about MacArthur knowing what direction the Toji were. I'd like to thank TwilightScarlet for helping me with this.

* * *

Chapter 5

Kaoru never really cared where she was lying down as long as she was able to do so. With all the missions the president of Osafune Girl's Academy has been giving her, she feels she has earned a very long break. A break she had hoped lasts forever. Knowing how that woman was, Kaoru knew that another mission was right around the corner. It reminded her of the time she was in a bath and a call came in telling her she still hasn't completed her mission.

When Ellen and Kaoru arrived, Kaoru noticed Kanami's empty bed and let out a lazy "Yay" while she swiftly made her way towards it. Ellen sat on the edge of it. The six of them met in Kanami's room as they had planned. They were eager to know what each other's opinions were on the upcoming monstrous disaster. How similar will all this be to what they have faced before?

"What are we discussing here exactly?" Sayaka finally said after a brief moment of awkward silence.

"We are discussing the information the presidents have given us regarding these so-called viruses and General MacArthur," Hiyori replied.

"Is that old ha- I mean is President Maniwa really gonna make us fight these things if they somehow show up?" Kaoru said while facing the wall as she was not bothered to sit up.

"I really hope not…" Kanami said with a hint of nervousness in her voice. "But chances are they are going to make us."

"Great. We fight aradama and now we have to fight these heaps of crap too? Like really? A chainsaw? I'm against overworking Toji!" Kaoru declared as she turned to face the ceiling, her fist raised in the air.

"First, we at least need to try to figure out what General MacArthur's intentions are. I've read online that he was responsible for the deaths of many people, including children, in a village in Egypt while working on the Omni virus. I was unsure if it was verified but at this point it is safe to say it is true." Hiyori replied. She was composed even if the things she learned about him came back to haunt her.

Mai put her hand to her mouth in shock that he would go as far as to hurt even children. It looks like MacArthur won't show mercy on them.

"President Hashima told us it was already developed though," Kanami argued.

"Maybe at the time of the experiment it wasn't. Now that it's developed, he probably wants to take it even further here by using noro. He's most likely interested in making some sort of hybrid."

"A hybrid that will probably end our kind," Kaoru commented.

"Kaoru!" Mai scolded. The current atmosphere was already intense to some level. They really didn't need to have their anxiety escalated.

"I'm only joking, okay. I'm sorry," Kaoru apologized while Mai was giving her a threatening glare.

"I did a quick research on the Omni virus to see what it does to you," everybody turned their attention over to Ellen who was looking at her phone. "Listen to this. The virus seems to be a better version of the Prototype virus that was developed in '98. What is does to you is that it increases the metabolism of the host. In turn, it gives them superhuman strength, speed, agility, endurance, and healing factor. It also gives the host the ability to sense others nearby. The only effects that manifest at first are superhuman endurance and healing factor."

"It also helps withstand fatal wounds and illnesses," Sayaka also found the same information Ellen found in her phone. "It also slows down the aging process. The major difference between the Prototype and the Omni virus is that the Prototype was strict with who could benefit from it. Whoever did not have 'superior' genes died."

"It looks like MacArthur wanted to ease off that restriction with this new one since chances are that he would've died with the Prototype," Hiyori said. "I think he has injected himself with the developed virus. With that power, who wouldn't?"

"I find it interesting that the Prototype was developed around the same time as the Great Disaster of Sagami Bay. I think it's coincidental though," Kanami said.

"Will our okatanas be enough to defeat him? I'm scared they'll break the moment we strike him," Sayaka said after picturing a scenario where they fight him.

"No! Don't say that! I couldn't bear it if I lost Chidori!" Kanami cried while hugging her okatana.

Reality hit them hard when they thought about their okatanas. What will a fight with MacArthur look like? Who will be in it? How many bruises and scars will they be left with? How many Toji will be killed? In addition, what about fights against his experiments? Will there be Toji who'll turn to MacArthur's side. There was an unpleasant silence in the room.

Kanami sat there thinking. Thinking about how she was going to protect her friends. She looked over to Hiyori who had a worried expression on her face. All she could do is admire her beauty even though now did not seem like the right time for it. _I will do everything in my power to protect her. _

"Kanami? Are you okay?" Hiyori said after she caught Kanami staring at her.

"Y-yes I'm okay!" Kanami stammered. She quickly turned away so others wouldn't notice her red face but it was obvious to them.

"I do have a question though," Sayaka said. Kanami was relieved because it would divert the attention away from her. She felt silly but she couldn't help it.

"What is it, Sayaka?" Mai asked.

"How do the presidents know all this? Who gave them this information?"

"Right. Where _did_ this information come from?" Ellen asked with arms crossed. She had a serious expression on her face. It was a rare thing to see since she was ecstatic most of them time. It looks as if there's a third party involved. Someone who knows MacArthur's coming.


	8. Chapter 6

Note: Hello all. Here's the next chapter. As I was writing/reviewing this chapter, I was listening to "Tres Amigos" from the Avengers: Endgame soundtrack. Especially the second half of the music.

* * *

Chapter 6

"Who are you? And where did MacArthur go?" Maki asked the soldier who was ordered to stay. Maki and Suzuka were both surprised as to how MacArthur knew they were around. They were confronted by a soldier who looked no older than twenty. His glowing, red eyes gave them some sort of indicator that he was not normal. They didn't want to jump the gun by immediately claiming that he harbored a virus. All they could do is be very cautious as to not trigger anything. It's as if they telepathically agreed given their looks.

"Name's Arnold and I was recently added to MacArthur's group. I'm replacing one of his former soldiers who had the nerve to betray him," the young man tried to figure out how Francisco could leave after all the work done for MacArthur. Arnold wished he could have met him so he can give him a few words. He walked over to a tree stump and sat down.

"I'll just go ahead and ask. Are you infected with the Omni virus?" asked Suzuka bluntly. Her question left Maki feeling uneasy. _What happened to being cautious?_

"How brave of you to ask. It's as if you have a death wish. You are partially correct. Yes I am infected with a virus. Not with the Omni virus though."

"Then what kind?" Maki asked. They might as well keep on asking since the cat's out of the bag.

"I have no idea actually. It bothers me why that man didn't give me the Omni," Arnold replied.

The Toji were slightly nervous as to what will come. They were briefly given information on the Omni virus but not this one. Whatever the hell this one was. The thought of fighting him knowing he has an unknown virus was nerve-wracking. Will he go through a transformation? Will he be easier or harder than an aradama?

"I can probably assume that MacArthur has a virus then," Suzuka continued.

"Definitely. The Omni virus. I don't expect you to be able to take him down with those swords. I'll let you figure out why."

_Obviously because he heals,_ Maki thought. _What is with this soldier? Are the other soldiers also infected with the virus? _

"What about the group of soldiers? Are they also infected with a virus?" Maki asked.

"You're lucky they aren't. Doesn't mean they're any easier."

"Then what is MacArthur planning to do?!" Suzuka was already annoyed. It didn't look like they were getting anywhere. All this conversation was doing was buying MacArthur time.

"It doesn't matter. You won't be alive to warn the rest of them so there's no reason for me to tell you," He coldly replied.

"What arrogance! Are you seriously threatening Toji? Don't underestimate us."

"I'm not threatening you. I'm making a promise. Come at me!"

"I was hoping we wouldn't have to resort to this," Maki said as she drew her okatana. Suzuka followed suit and both activated their Utsushi.

The soldier rushed at them at blinding speed but the two were able to move much faster to get out of the way. _He has speed alright,_ Maki noted. Quickly recovering, he turned to face them and this time he was going to go directly for Maki to hit her with a thrust punch. Focusing, Maki saw the moment when he was mere inches from her and moved aside. She then followed up with a slash to the soldier's stomach and then kicked him. He was sent flying back and slammed into a tree. He got back up and showed no signs of damage.

"What is this? Did you not do anything to him?" Suzuka was astonished by what appeared to be the lack of damage he suffered. Was he immune to damage or does he quickly regenerate?

"Let's not give in! We can beat him here," Maki replied.

"I'm resistant to damage and immune to pain. I stand a good chance here," Arnold said with a smile that showed how confident he was with his abilities.

The young man took a deep breath and moved right behind Maki. He moved too fast that it's as if his virus allows him to teleport, making it hard to see in what direction he's going. He disappears and reappears in another spot a second later. It has one wondering if he can do that, why did he not do that from the start? "Goodbye" was all he said and snapped her neck. The snap broke her Utsushi and she fell to the ground.

"No! Ma…" Suzuka managed to say before the soldier moved in front of her and lifted her up by her neck.

He then slammed her against the floor. As he was towering over her, he lifted his foot and struck her neck with immense force. The intensity of it was enough to decapitate her, breaking her Utsushi. He turned to face where Maki fell.

The moment he turned around, he was met with Maki rushing in his direction. Using all her strength, she was able to impale him. Suzuka came from behind him and impaled him from the back.

"Resistant to damage, I see," Suzuka quietly said with a hint of sarcasm. What they don't know is that he was severely weakened when Maki impaled him.

"You bitch…"

Both Toji pulled their okatanas out of him and moved away from him. The soldier was soon grunting in pain. The pain was not brought on by the strikes they gave him but from something else. All they could do was stare at the man who claimed he was at an advantage. Someone who underestimated them. The soldier had both of his hands on his head and looked as if he was applying pressure.

"No! What the hell is happening? Aghhh!" screamed the young man. After a few moments of struggling, the upper half of his head burst. Suzuka screamed at the sight of it while Maki stared with her eyes wide open. His skin started to burn off and revealed this pink, fleshy skin and all while leaving a pool of blood at his feet. Small tentacles grew from the opening of his head with a very large one that had a blade made from bone at the end of it. He was no longer human but a monster whose only thought was to kill whatever was in front of it. The two Toji stood there, unable to comprehend the horror in front of them. The transformation was caused by the severity of the damage he's taken. Without another moment to spare, the monster jumped at them.

Out of instinct, Maki slashed at the monstrosity and was able to split it in half. The halves of the body were violently twitching and the large tentacle was moving around haphazardly. The upper half of the body tried several times to move towards them but ultimately failed.

"Alright! That's enough!" Suzuka yelled as she sliced off the large, blade-flailing tentacle. Removing it stopped the monster from moving altogether. The two Toji stared at the lifeless body for a few moments. Maki took the initiative to get closer and make several observations about its grotesque appearance.

"We're telling Yukari about this. It looks like we're all in danger. The younger Toji aren't mentally prepared to look at these things, let alone fight them. From teleportation to this, they're not ready," Maki said as she started taking pictures with her phone.

"That w-was terrifying and extreme…" Suzuka commented. "Just how much more of these things will we face?"

"I hope our experience from fighting aradama and other Toji will at least aid us in the near future. This is something else."

"I'm glad we did not make a move earlier. We would've been dead."

"Agreed."

* * *

The transformation that Arnold went through was based off the Bloodshot from Resident Evil 6. The rupture and tentacles was something I added. I'll say that the virus he had was loosely based off the C-Virus. According to the Resident Evil wiki, "The Bloodshot is the result of a C-Virus Zombie mutating in response to excessive damage..." Writing fight scenes are kind of hard.


	9. Chapter 7

Note: I don't know whether to add Mihono and the rest of the group or not. I honestly don't know too much about them. I only have the Mini Toji series and the wiki to work from since I've never played the game. If I did, they'd be out of character but I hope not too much.

* * *

Chapter 7

"Fuck. What day is- No. We ain't doing this shit again," Francisco found himself lying down on a rough bed in a warm bedroom. The springs have ripped through the mattress so they were naturally poking him. He was staring at the ceiling and wondering who was the one who put him there. Was he still in Egypt or was he somehow magically teleported to Japan? His mind automatically wandered to the first option since the thought of magical teleportation sounded ridiculous. He couldn't help but be glad to wake up in such an environment, given how uncomfortable the bed was, since the last place he woke up in was a cold, dark prison.

He slowly sat up and scanned the room. The bed was terribly squeaky and it felt like it was going to break. He didn't find anything out of the ordinary other than the fact that the bedroom looked like it was going to fall apart. The lamp was missing the lightbulb and the cord was torn off, the closet was missing the door, the clock wasn't working, the walls needed a paint job badly, the windows were broken, a rug that should've been thrown out years ago, a strange lingering smell, etc. Maybe now he preferred the prison as opposed to this disease-ridden bedroom. He felt his pockets and slightly panicked when he felt them empty.

"Where's my stuff?" Francisco quietly muttered. His eyes went straight to the brown dresser and saw the components of his pockets. He got off the bed, making sure not to touch any stain that was on the bed, and made his way to it. He found it rather difficult to walk at first given what he's recently been through but he was able to manage. His legs felt seriously sore.

The dresser was very dusty with perfume bottles scattered everywhere. Some of the bottles were empty. Pictures were taped to the border of the mirror. They appeared to be old photographs. What was funny is that he found the closet door lying horizontally behind the dresser. Francisco looked straight down and saw the container full of red pills with the pair of sunglasses. His eyes moved left and found an item that he forgot he had. A single bullet. He forgot where he got it from but knew well what he was planning to do with it. He let out a deep sigh and placed the items in his pocket. He was able to heal in an instant now so the bullet seemed pointless. He looked at himself in the mirror and was glad that his irises haven't gone back to the glowing red. All that was missing was one item. The letter. That's when he heard voices come from another part of the house. He slowly peeked his head out of the door, looking left and right, to make sure there wasn't anybody walking by and then stepped out. He made his way down the hall and made it to the entrance of the living room.

The living room was small in size. The furniture that occupied the area seemed to be decades old. He would have even thought they were from the 1800s. Who knows? Maybe they were. The sofas were an ugly yellow with a generic floral pattern. Even the most tired person wouldn't dare sit on it given the indescribable stains. The circular table in the center had the bottom end of one of the legs broken off so a folded piece of cardboard was used to balance it. The walls were stained as well with countless pieces of the paint chipped off. There was a television but it didn't appear to be in working condition. A small cloth was draped on top of it with books and nick-nacks piled on top. He found an old couple sitting near the corner of the room. The old woman was in tears as she was reading a letter. The old man was sitting by her listening.

"Our boy is working so hard! I am so proud of him!" said the old woman in tears.

"We're grateful to have a son so dedicated to his craft. I always knew he was a working man. Din' I tell ya? Din' I?" replied the old man.

"Yes!" the woman soon put on a solemn face as she sighed. "I only wish he would visit us every now and then. I miss him dearly."

"He has many customers, dear. He mentioned in the letter that he gets a lot of business. Our poor son is handcuffed to that shop of his. When will he ever catch a break?"

_Are these Bones' parents? Do they not know he's in prison? Maybe I shouldn't tell them. I'll leave them be. _Francisco thought as he was still standing by the entrance.

"Looks like you've finally woken up, boy!" yelled the old man across the living room. Francisco quietly muttered "Shit" with gritted teeth. He was hoping they wouldn't notice him. He wanted to ditch now that they had the letter. The place didn't look like it would help in bringing down MacArthur. If anything, he felt it only wasted his time. Who knows what that man could have done by now? How many lives has he taken?

"Hello, dear! You've been asleep for hours," said the old woman.

"Yes. Umm… I'm here," Francisco awkwardly replied. He was trying to find the right words to thank them for allowing him to stay at their house. He wanted to complain about the ugly atmosphere but thought better of it. They went through the trouble of helping him so why make jabs at them?

"What's your name, son?" asked the old man.

"The name's Francisco," he replied. He didn't want to give out the last name. The last name that was given to him by MacArthur was Douglas so he refused to use it. He did not want to be associated with him. He honestly didn't know what his last name really was. When MacArthur took him in at a young age, he made sure that he was no longer associated with his birth family. He was in a group with five others and they also had the same fate as him. They were all given the same last name as well. The six of them were part of a group called Project Douglas. Six individuals who were taken in when they were about 5 or 6. They were brainwashed to obey MacArthur without a second thought and trained to become soldiers. He'd talk some sense into them should he meet them again. That is no way to live.

"Great to meet ya! My name's Min and my wife's name is Gamila. Glad you got to meet our great son, Amon."

"Yeah… He's a great guy." Francisco remembered him trying to beat the living daylights out of him. He was only rude. Maybe that was enough to provoke him. He did have this reputation and power. He also remembered him having this shady business that he ran from a prison.

"I have questions, Francisco. You're wearing a prison outfit. What were you doing with our son's letter? Did you cause our son harm?" Min's questions came across as dead serious as he was slightly shaking the envelope around. He did not notice the index card that accompanied the letter fall to the floor.

"You see… I... broke out of prison," Francisco was scratching the back of his head while also avoiding eye contact with the old couple. "After escaping, I ended up taking cover in a shop and next you know, I actually run into Amon. He saw that I've made terrible mistakes in life and decided to give me another chance by temporarily giving me employment. He said I could turn my life around and gave me this long lecture that I really needed. He gave me the task of delivering this letter to you. I didn't have a change of clothes so he was able to find a way to get me here without getting caught."

"But you were out cold when we found you," Gamila replied.

"Some guy dropped me off nearby. I fainted while making my way here because I didn't eat," Francisco was really hoping they were believing the lie he gave them about his journey. He was bullshitting it as he went along. Seeing how much love they showed for their son, he didn't want to risk giving them a heart attack by saying Bones was actually in prison. Then what was he going to do?

"Ah. What's this?" the old man found the index card that had fallen out of the letter. It seemed to have another message. He then read the card quietly to himself.

_Mother and Father,_

_This individual who delivered the card has been given a task of utmost importance. They have accepted the mission of finally exterminating MacArthur. They will avenge our family and friends. I'm going to need you to take them to the secret room we have under the house. _

"Oh. The lad is the individual that Amon was hoping would show up one day. I'm going to need you to come with us, son." Said the old man in a stern voice.

* * *

Note: Now you have a brief overview of Francisco's background. I feel like I've placed it in an awkward spot but there it is.


	10. Chapter 8

Note: I apologize for the time it took to publish this one. I've been busy with applications to continue studying in the credential program.

* * *

Chapter 8

"Hachiman power!" Kanami yelled as she jumped high into the air to deal a heavy blow to a centipede aradama that was towering over her and Mihono. That last blow was enough to finally defeat the monster. Its head landed with a heavy thud. A pool of noro surrounded the defeated beast.

"That was awesome, Kanami-chan!" Mihono yelled with beaming eyes.

"Thanks!" Kanami cheerfully replied. "You were great yourself, Mihono-chan! I'm glad we can fight alongside together."

It's not often they get sent on missions together so they cherished the moments when they got to fight together. As Kanami is obsessed with sword fighting techniques, she's always watching what her partners do. Kanami getting called a sword nerd was as true as they come. It's a fact that she knew as well.

"Let's head back and report this to the director. Kanami-chan? Are you feeling alright?" Mihono noticed that Kanami was staring at the defeated aradama for a prolonged period of time. It's as if the slayed aradama suddenly became the most interesting thing in the world. Something was definitely on her mind. Her voice instantly brought Kanami out of her trance.

"Sorry. I'm alright," Kanami nervously laughed while rubbing the back of her head. In reality, she really was alright.

Although she was told to keep the threat of viruses on the low so it doesn't spread like wildfire, she was itching to tell the other girl all about it. She wanted to know what others that were outside the circle thought of the whole thing. At the same time, it didn't appear that she did not have the time to sit down with a few others and go over what she remembers. Kanami had to be sure that she would also keep it to herself. On the other hand, other Toji are going to find out about all this eventually. It is inevitable. They're looking at monsters showing up at random points in Japan. At least that's what Kanami thinks. One thing that worried her was this news also spreading to Kofuki and how she would react to it. Her personality would have her trying to chase one down and getting herself killed trying to fight it. Especially that Ubast-, Ubet-, whatever that chainsaw one was called.

"Hey Mihono-chan? Can I ask you to keep something a secret? It's really really important that you do," Kanami finally asked with her hands clasped together and a worried look on her face. She could no longer contain herself. She now knew there was no turning back unless she can come up with something random to take its place.

"Hm? Sure. What is it?"

"Do you know what a virus is?"

"A virus? The reason why people get sick? I remember Kiyoka getting sick recently. She definitely had one!"

"No not that kind," Kanami laughed. "The kind that gets injected into animals, people, or whatever and turns them into scary monsters! I was given info on them. Some of them looked unsettling..."

With Kanami poorly describing it, Mihono couldn't help but think that this is no different from the injections of noro that people would inject themselves with from time to time. Before she could respond, she saw an old man appear from the corner of her eye. He seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Can you girls help me?" The older man said. He looked like he was in his mid-60s. Other than the age he appeared to be, he looked as if he was lost for days. His blue flannel shirt had dirt stains on them and was torn on several spots. His jeans showed that he was crawling through caves or something. This definitely was not a sign that he was hiking.

"Are you okay, sir? What do you need help with?" Kanami replied. The only thought that crossed her mind was that this man was lost and looking for directions. She didn't bother with the fact that he just randomly appeared.

"You see. I'm lost in this forest. I'm trying to get out of here so I can go see my granddaughter. She is also a Toji just like you two."

"How long have you been lost for?" Mihono asked.

"About a day or so. I know my appearance doesn't look like it but it's the truth, I tell you,"

"What school does she go to?" Kanami then asked.

"She wears the exact same uniform-." the man stopped mid-sentence and started turning pale with bloodshot eyes. He looked strained as veins appeared all over his face.

"Sir are you okay?!" Kanami yelled as she was walking towards him. "What's wrong?"

"Kanami step back!" Mihono warned.

Soon after, his mouth ripped wide open and the upper half of a worm forced its way out with sounds that appeared to be bones breaking. The worm was large and white with a gaping mouth. Something like a parasite and it didn't have teeth. It had five flailing appendages with two on the left side and three on the right side of the body. It was salivating with this reddish, murky, acid-like liquid. The man stood there with the worm that was attached to him moving about. The upper half his head was still intact but was hanging back. Kanami and Mihono held onto each other as their hearts raced caused by the fear of seeing something atrocious. Something they, or any other Toji, have never seen before in their lives. The "old man" slowly started to make its way towards the two Toji.

"Run, Kanami!" Mihono finally yelled, eyes full of tears. She took off running and Kanami darted alongside her.

"We have to get rid of that thing!" Kanami screamed to her.

"No! Let someone else do it! I'm not going near that thing!"

Just like that, the two girls left without any attempt at turning back.

"What a disappointment. Stupid brats ran away," said a young woman who jumped down from a tree several feet away from the creature. She was confused as to why MacArthur had interest in using the brown-haired girl as a subject for the super soldier he has planned when she ran away from a simple fight.

"Oh give it a rest!" she said as she sliced off the worm with her combat knife when the monster made its way towards her. She killed it before it got a chance to attack her. "MacArthur has to hear about this. I also have to tell him about that little friend of hers. Maybe she can also be a subject of interest."

* * *

The worm parasite that the old man had comes from Resident Evil 4. There is a class of enemies called the Zealots that had it. The parasite showed up every once in a while and appeared the same way as described here. Only difference was that the old man didn't take damage for it to show up.


	11. Chapter 9

Note: Hello, all. Some details I'd like to leave behind. I don't know how useful though. This chapter takes place during the last chapter when Kanami and Mihono had the encounter with the old man. Also since I figured that a few days have progressed, this chapter also takes place during the events of chapter 2 when Francisco was first introduced. Simply put, Chapters 2, 8, and 9 takes place during the same time. I decided to add Mihono and the rest of the group. How big their role will be is still something I'm working on. Chances are they'll be out of character but I hope not too much.

* * *

Chapter 9

"I thank you all for giving me the opportunity to work alongside you," MacArthur said during the first official meeting between him and the pharmaceutical company, Future Medicine.

MacArthur was standing behind a podium in front of a group of about 10 scientists in a meeting room. The room was the size of a standard classroom. The floor, walls, and ceiling were covered with blue steel plates. There were tables in the back of the room that were covered with file folders and containers of various sizes that contained certain kinds of medications. Some of the newer medications were recently brought in just in case he asked what kind of projects did they need funding with. There was a large bulletin board on both sides of the room that had numerous papers stapled to them. Sheets of papers that had many complicated formulas, some of them had ads, others had a bunch of red pen marks as if they were graded assignments, and very few of them had a large "VOID" stamped across. With the room looking neat and clean, one would wonder why this facility is hidden in a forest.

Four soldiers stood by MacArthur and they all had an intimidating aura that made the audience somewhat uneasy. Emotionless. All of them. There were two soldiers that were missing from the group. A young woman and the newbie. The members of the audience were worried that they would be eviscerated right on the spot if a wrong combinations of words escaped their mouths. None of the soldiers harbored a virus but MacArthur would not hesitate to inject them with one if need be. Maybe he plans on doing so in the near future. All they had equipped on them was a handgun, combat knife, and 3 pairs of grenades. A pair that explodes, another pair that sets things on fire, and a pair that blinds targets by flashing a bright light.

The employees were sitting in a large rectangular table with all four sides being used except for the side that's in front of MacArthur. They all had a folder in front of them that explained MacArthur's research into various types of viruses. It also had a brief history of the Omni virus of how it came to be. The only part left out was the deaths that were required to develop it. The last section details a kind of hybrid with its name as "Toji Assistant". A hybrid that's composed of an aradama injected with the Omni virus. This was probably the project the man was looking for help with. MacArthur also had a folder on the podium but the difference was the name of the hybrid. It was called, "Toji Extinguisher". It details a class of sword-wielding soldiers whose only purpose was to kill Toji. It would hold two okatanas and it will be a learning-based humanoid that would quickly react to any Toji's fighting style. Every passing moment spent fighting it would lead a Toji closer to certain death. He was interested in using Kanami and the rest of the group because he figured they were the strongest. He would put the beast in a fight with the six together and it would quickly adapt. It would then be able to land a killing blow to them all. Everything it learned while fighting them would stay.

He wants to go through with this super soldier project one step at a time. He wants to start off with Toji. If it can easily kill one, he will then build on it and see if it can take down a harder enemy. All this will go on until there isn't anything it cannot beat.

"I'm glad I sent the new kid to fight some Toji," MacArthur whispered to himself. He was hoping that the young soldier had gotten rid of them so their okatanas can be used. Any okatanas would do. It didn't matter who they belonged to.

"Anyways, I have become aware that you have recently started doing research into these viruses. I feel that together we can make some outstanding development," MacArthur finally spoke up.

"You said you would help us get out of this economic crisis, did you not?" one scientist asked. The glares from the group of soldiers made him slump a bit in his chair. It's as if his question warranted a death sentence.

"Indeed I did. I will get you that payment in due time," Seeing the expression on the man made MacArthur chuckle a bit. "Don't be intimidated by my group here. We're all on the same side. After our work together is done, we can bask in the glory of our success."

In reality, MacArthur has no intention of sharing the credit with the rest of them. The scientists along with the soldiers that he had were all disposable to him. The members of his audience were seen as potential victims for his project. He also wanted to see just how the human body reacts when injected with noro and a virus. As an alternative, he can try to figure out a way to fuse the DNA from the Omni virus with noro.

"I'm going to need you all to take me to the lab where you have done all your research. I have to see the progress that was made. Before making my way here, I sent in one of my soldiers here to run some observations on how Toji fight. May I ask how that observation was conducted?"

"Yes, sir! Right away. Please follow me," spoke up the lead scientist. "We went overboard with this one and kidnapped an older gentleman. We had him injected with a worm parasite. We were lucky an aradama was close by right when we needed one through our spectrum finder. Toji would've had to show up to defeat it and that's when we sent your soldier along with the older man to make observations."

"I hope you all realize that low-class worm parasites are easy to kill, right? Unfortunately that won't be enough to help me here. I believe they can defeat it with only one slice," MacArthur said with a disappointed tone. He was now hoping that his partnership with the company was not some huge mistake. What he wanted was results and it doesn't look like he'll be getting them anytime soon.

"We apologize for the disappointment, sir. Please follow us. You must see what he have," Again spoke the lead scientist. The disappointment in MacArthur's voice really got to him. He now has to be careful to not make anymore mistakes. He knew the rest of the group felt the same way.

The group made their way deeper into the facility through the maze of hallways and doors. Bulletin boards decorated the walls near every door they passed by. The small glass on the doors revealed rooms with numerous test tubes and papers piled neatly on the table. It could be that they spent most of the funds making the place look nice instead of progressing on what the company was known for. Its appearance was much more cleaner and orderly than the facility he visited on an island off the coast of Spain back in 2000. After walking some distance, they finally arrived at a staircase that led to the lower levels.

"Let's step inside, shall we? I am feeling hopeful," MacArthur smiled as he stared at the double doors down the steps.

The doors slid open to reveal a spacious room. One the left side of the room were about 10 large cylindrical containers that appeared to have creatures in them. The green liquid that filled them made it very hard to see what exactly was contained in those tubes. Nevertheless, MacArthur had high hopes for them. The computers connected to the tubes also didn't give any details on what was in them. The back of the room had a two shelves that stood side by side. There were full of petri dishes that had samples of live tissue and parasites. The closer one got to the dishes, the more foul the smell was. The table at the very center had more petri dishes scattered about with a microscope towards the edge. It looks like the company completely dropped their reason for existence to pursue immoral and reckless research. To the right of the room, there was a door. A door covered with police tape that displayed the word "WARNING".

"Looks like you keep something that's not from this planet. What's in there?" MacArthur was very interested in what these partners of his were able to secure in there. Whether they were going to allow him to go in there or not, he was going to go in there either way. Nothing would stop him.

"We housed some very hostile creatures from several parts of the world. We can create more using the samples we have in the dishes in the back."

"Good. I don't know what exactly but I would like to use them."

"You can use them however you like. I know you need reinforcements."

"Let's get to work. We have a long journey ahead. Keep this briefcase somewhere safe," MacArthur said handing the briefcase to the scientist that was closest to him.

* * *

Note: For anybody interested, Resident Evil 4 is broken up into three sections. The village, castle, and island. The island is what MacArthur made a visit to.


	12. Chapter 10

Note: Hello, all. Here is the next chapter. I feel I should be adding more to these but nothing comes to mind. Oh well. Anyways, happy October!

* * *

Chapter 10

Maki and Suzuka went into Yukari's office in the Special Sword Administration Headquarters Bureau. They had to tell Yukari everything and see what course of action will be taken next. Looks like waiting was not an option. MacArthur could be moving a lot faster than anticipated. Another Toji could possibly be in the middle of another encounter and who knows how that will end up?

"Yukari-sama! It was horrible!" Suzuka cried out. Both her and Maki got firsthand experience on dealing with such a repulsive monster since it wasn't anything like the aradama they've fought in the past. Suzuka couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for the young man who was subjected to such torture. The mutation looked incredibly painful. Whether he was forcefully injected with a virus or willingly accepted it was unknown.

"These things… are on a whole other level than aradama are. The way a lot of the Toji are, most don't stand a chance." Maki argued and then pulled out her phone to show her the pictures she took. "This was the creature that Suzuka and I had the misfortune of fighting."

The phone showed the creature that was slain by Maki. The monster was pinkish. The top half of its head viciously torn off with a few small tentacles spreading out a bit. The large tentacle with a sharp bone used as a blade lay to the body's side. Yukari stared at the image with interest but also disgust as to what they will be forced to deal with. She squinted to absorb every detail of the creature. The appearance of it was almost enough to break Yukari out of her serious demeanor. Suzuka was thinking about getting some sort of therapist.

"Believe it or not, this thing was a person when we first encountered it. A soldier that was probably a little older than us," Suzuka commented as Yukari was still concentrated on the image.

"Was he really? What happened?" Yukari replied with a surprised expression. Maki was taken aback by her reaction. This was considered a rarity since she couldn't recall the last time Yukari showed such a feeling.

"Yes it was. His abilities included super speed but we were fortunate enough to be faster thanks to the Utsushi. His strength was impressive as well. He was able to break Suzuka's Utsushi with a single stomp," Maki recollected.

"The horror started when we both impaled him," Suzuka continued. "Part of his head burst and tentacles grew out of the remaining part. His skin… melted off... revealing what you saw in that pic. It jumped at us and Maki-san sliced it in half."

"I'm going to excuse you two. Take time to cool off. I'm going to do research on what all this stuff is about. By the looks of it, we are in danger. I'm going to quickly see what our next move should be. I apologize for sending you to fight a foreign monster that would've resulted in your demise."

"No need to apologize Yukari-sama. I'm glad we didn't get hurt too badly. We will stay vigilant should more of these things show up." Maki replied. She had to fight as long as she can protect the people she cares about. She was also willing to learn any new techniques.

"Suzuka," Maki called out to her while holding her hands. "Together you and I can take on this challenge. We'll be okay as long as we are together."

"Yes. Let's do this," Suzuka replied with a blush and a smile.

After they both left, Yukari sat there thinking. Who would want to mess with this stuff? Who would agree to subject themselves to such an experiment? Is the power that is gained from it worth the cost of one's human consciousness?

* * *

"President Hashima!" Kanami and Mihono rushed into President Hashima's office. Both were trying to catch their breath. The older woman was patiently waiting for them before questioning why they had rushed to her office. Both girls took their time.

"What... was that thing?" Mihono finally spoke up. She walked over to the older woman's desk and took a seat. "A scary white worm came out of an old man's head!"

"Ma'am. Was that a virus?" questioned Kanami with a terrified expression. She was hoping she or any other Toji would never have an encounter like this but it looks like the horror has just begun.

President Hashima sat at her desk unable to say anything. She felt sorry that Kanami and Mihono faced such a thing. Kanami had some knowledge on what these alien-like monsters are. She couldn't imagine what the other girl's reaction was upon seeing that. Kanami was mistaken since it was a parasite she discovered. She was worried that MacArthur has started some sort of attack on Toji. It looked like he moved much quicker than anticipated. She could only guess that he's only just recently arrived. They now have to be prepared for what's to come.

"Girls. I need you to listen to me. What you found back there was an old man who was injected with a parasite. A worm parasite. Do NOT get close to that thing should you meet up with a second one."

"I don't plan on it!" Mihono argued. "But why? What does it do?"

"When you get near the host, the worm will extend its body and bite your head off. Documents reveal that some individuals have become a victim to this terrible fate. Here are some photographs of individuals who harbored this parasite."

The older woman pulled out a file folder from a drawer of her desk and placed it in front of them. Kanami opened the folder and saw several photographs. One photograph showed a group of individuals in what looks like the outside of a castle. Maybe they were inside but just an outside part of it. They were standing in front of a wall with a door behind them. They were wearing black clerical robes and some of them had the hood on. They were incredibly pale and had red irises. Looking at them made Kanami uneasy. Another picture showed another group of them in a hallway with a good amount of lighting so it was easier to notice the details. They all looked lifeless. Like puppets. The same dead facial expression on all of them. It was difficult to tell just how many there were by the angle in which the picture was taken. The last picture was considered the most appalling. It had the largest group of them. It looked like 15-20 of them. They were all standing before a small table in the center of a large and very tall room. The table had what looked like a dead body with a sword stabbed into it. Blood was everywhere. Standing before the crowd was one individual who wore red robes instead of black. Most likely the leader. The photo was taken from a balcony that was south-west from the crowd. Kanami slowly set the photo down and closed the folder. Mihono brought it over to her side and started to take a look.

"Ma'am. What were those pics? Who are they?" Kanami asked while her heart was pumping fast.

"These are what you call Zealots. They are the primary hosts of the worm parasite you encountered. They inhabited a castle in Spain as guards. They exist in ranks. Black is the lowest rank. Then comes purple followed by the highest rank being red. The ones with red robes commonly wear a goat skull," The woman replied.

"This is a cult!" Mihono said while she had her eyes glued to the last disturbing photo.

"You're correct. A government agent from the United States had to fight his way through them. Talk about a nightmare."

"These 'people' aren't showing up here, are they…?" Mihono asked hoping for a 'no'.

"Who knows? Maybe they will or maybe they won't." The president stated in the most serious way possible.

"Why is this happening to us? Can't we just go back to fighting aradama like we used to?" Kanami whined. She felt like she made a mistake telling Hiyori that they would be able to overcome this. She felt like all this will come crashing down in one instant. She didn't want to give up yet. Maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel. A very long tunnel at that. Maybe with a few bodies along the way.

"I'm sorry that this is all happening. We will find a way to stop MacArthur before he wreaks havoc."

"President? I have a question."

"What is it, Kanami?"

"We have never really experienced this sort of thing in the past. So how are you so knowledgeable about all this?"

"I learned about all this from Dr. Friedman."

"Ellen-chan's grandpa?"

"Yes. MacArthur used to be a younger colleague of his. They both did research on the noro before separating. Friedman continued research into the noro and then the development of the S-Equipment. MacArthur went on a different route researching the T-Virus and then the Omni virus."

_They used to be friends?_ That thought was all that was running through Kanami's mind. She wondered why he never brought him up in the past. Maybe there wasn't a reason to until now.

"You can talk to him. He'll be able to tell you everything you want to know."

"We will. Thank you so much, President Hashima."

"You're welcome, girls. Be safe out there."

* * *

Note: The Zealots were the main enemies in the castle portion of Resident Evil 4. Take a guess at who the government agent from the U.S. President Hashima was referring to. I liked the idea of Friedman and MacArthur being colleagues in the past.


	13. Chapter 11

Note: Hello, all. Here is the next chapter.

* * *

Chapter 11

Francisco wondered why the old man gave him a serious look after reading the index card. Whatever it was, he was hoping it wasn't any bad news. Based on what he's been through, he doesn't need any more. Min had instructed him to follow the old couple into the kitchen, which was just a short hallway away. The kitchen was rather spacious. It looked like it needed a bit of cleaning but that wasn't any of their concern at the moment. It didn't matter. Everything in the house needed cleaning anyway. The walls were a dull yellow color. The countertop at the very center was full of either dust or flour. It was difficult to tell. The sink was in front of a window like any typical house would have. Out the window had a great view of an open field with a few farm animals roaming around. Other than that, everything looked quite normal. Except for a horrid smell. It's most likely food that has long expired. It looked as if the pair had gotten used to the smell.

"Can I have you move all these bags out of the way, son? My poor back won't help me," laughed Min. It was quite the 180 turn of the seriousness he manifested earlier.

"Yeah. Of course…" Francisco said as he saw a large number of bags sitting at the corner of the kitchen collecting dust. They were all the size of money bags. The kind that you'd see in those bank robbery scenes in movies. Slap a money sign sticker on them and there you go. Only they were old and moldy though.

They were bags of rice, coffee beans and wheat. Who knows how long these bags have been here? Whenever he would toss a bag aside, it would leave a cloud of dust. If there were more bags, they would have to evacuate the kitchen because of all the dust that would settle around. After moving bag after bag, Francisco could see what looked like a trap door. When he removed the last bag, he stared at the trap door for moment wondering what the old couple has hidden down there.

"Open the door will ya, son?" Min asked.

It took Francisco a little while to figure out how to unlock the door. The lock showed signs of aging. It was kind of rusty. After getting it unlocked, he had to use some force to pull it open. Because they were old people, he helped them climb down the creaky stairs. The old man felt around for the light switch after all of them reached the base.

"Come on. Where are you, buddy?" Min said. "Ah! There ya are! No wait. That's the busted one. Ah! Here!"

When the lights went on, Francisco was awestruck to find a glass rack that had a small arsenal of weapons. He felt like a little kid in a toy store. Grenades were lined up on a table on the left side of the small room. The right side had packs of ammunition for all sorts of weapons.

"Damn. What's all this?" said Francisco as he smiled. He was thinking that maybe this was part of that shady business Bones runs. Dealing weapons to certain individuals.

"You like what you see? Take your pick and choose a few so you don't end up looking like a fool carrying so much."

Despite being limited in choices, Francisco had a hard time sorting through them. What will help him? What kind of monsters will he encounter in Japan? Will any of these be enough to bring down MacArthur? He knew he didn't have all day to look around. With some scanning, he felt like he finally found the perfect weapon. He found a stainless-steel pump-action shotgun called the Benelli M4. Francisco looked at the tag and saw that the shotgun had a nickname. The attached tag read _Iron Wrecker_.

"I'll take this one," Francisco said with glee. "I've worked with these kinds before."

"Anything else you want, dear?" Gamila said.

"Yes. Let's go with this one and that one," Francisco pointed to the M1A1 Thompson and then the Colt M1911. The Thompson also had a nickname. The tag read _Grim Reaper_.

"I'll take grenades too and that will be it."

"Great choices! Let's head back upstairs shall we? The room is too stuffy."

After going upstairs, Gamila told Francisco to take a shower and gave him a new set of clothes to wear. He wondered why they had clothes in his size but didn't pay much attention to it. Maybe they really were expecting just him. No. That'd be too strange. After showering and getting dressed, he stared at himself in the mirror.

"I look like fucking Indiana Jones. Except for the hat, jacket, and whip though. Maybe it's here somewhere," He took a deep breath before stepping out of the bathroom.

"Looks good on ya!" commented Min.

"Fits you perfectly!" Gamila exclaimed.

"You're going to need this," Min showed Francisco a vest with a few pockets that were meant to hold ammo. It was made so a weapon, such as the shotgun, can be carried in the back. It's unfortunate that he has to carry the other one since it can only hold one weapon. He also handed him a combat knife, a few grenades and boxes of ammo.

"Thank you for all this." Francisco said. "I guess there's no hat, whip, or jacket with these clothes?"

"What?" asked Min with a confused expression.

"It's nothing. Just joking," said Francisco slightly embarrassed.

He set the shotgun down on the couch and opened the box of shotgun shells. The box contained eight shells and he was eager to load it. He made a comment after inserting every shell.

"One for his head, one for his arm, one for his other arm, one for his leg, one for his other leg, one for his balls, one for his ass, and one for his fucking chest."

"You really do seem to hate the man," Min said with a laugh and Gamila had a shocked expression. "One more thing I want to give you for the shotgun. I'm only giving you a few of these. Make them count." Min handed Francisco eight incendiary shells that will burst into flames when the rounds hit a target.

"These look illegal but I'll take them. At this stage I'll be glad with anything you give me. Anything will be helpful."

"I'll call a good ol'buddy of mine so he can drive you to Mohammed. He's a cargo pilot that will get you where you need to go. I've met him recently but it looks like he gets the job done."

"Looks like he gets the job done? On what basis?"

"I don't know. Sorry. But just trust me!"

Min walked over to the phone and looked at the small list of phone numbers on a slip of paper before dialing. He squinted at the list and scratched his head. He dialed the number hoping it was the right one and waited for the other person on the other side of the line to pick up.

"Hello?" A man with a rough voice was finally heard. He sounded like a heavy smoker.

"Ah! Hello! How are you doing, bud? I have a task for ya."

"I told you. I don't give rides for free. You still owe me from the last three rides! I'm starting to get really sick of your shit."

"I know. I'm sorry. I'll pay you back when you get here. I promise. Anyways, I have a friend here. I need you to take him to Mohammed. It's important. Please."

"I'll be on my way then. You better have my payment ready. I'll be cutting ties with you if you don't."

"Thank you!" Min hung up the phone.

"He's a taxi driver. We have a good relationship and whenever I need a ride, I call him personally. I actually don't know his real name. I call him Taxi," Min said as if he just had a friendly conversation with a life-long friend.

_Doesn't even sound like a good relationship. What the hell do I know?_ Francisco thought.

"Exactly how much do you owe him?"

"I don't know actually. I'm hoping he's the one keeping track," laughed the old man.

"Whatever then," Francisco said with a palm to his face. "Then we'll just wait for him."

_I swear if someone asks me if I'm compensating for something just because I have these weapons..._

* * *

Note: I keep bringing it up but in Resident Evil 4, there's a shotgun called the Riot Gun and a machine gun called the Chicago Typewriter. These two are based on the Benelli M4 and Thompson, respectively. The handgun in the game is just called Handgun. That one is based on the Colt. I always wondered what the shotgun was based on since it's my favorite weapon in the game.


	14. Chapter 12

Note: Hello, all. Here is the next chapter. I enjoyed writing this one. Happy Halloween!

* * *

Chapter 12

Kanami wanted more information on who MacArthur was through another valuable source. The closest she'll ever get to a primary source. Maybe even try to pinpoint what MacArthur is really after. There was no way she was going to let the people closest to her get hurt. She asked the rest of her friends to come along her and they agreed since it is something they won't be able to ignore. As a matter of fact, they were also curious. Mihono had asked Kanami to tell her everything the next time they would see each other. Whether at school, hunting aradama, or another terrifying encounter with a virus-infused monster. She had been sent off on a mission. She was hesitant at first because she was afraid she'd come across something much worse. The six decided to visit the village where Mokusa's base was. It was unknown to Kanami if that was still considered a base or not given all that has happened over the year. They wanted to go there because Ellen claimed that her grandpa has recently been spending a lot of time there. The exact reason is unknown.

"Hello," Kanami said as she knocked on a door. They remembered the place where they were told the truth about the Great Aradama Incident 20 years ago. It felt as if it were only yesterday. The truth about her and Hiyori's mother. The technique Yukari used to seal Tagitsuhime. Every little detail. Would they have to resort to something similar to bring MacArthur down or will they have to do something entirely different? Maybe he'll just leave soon without any further conflict and they will now truly stay out of each other's way. They were glad to have made it there without any incident.

"Ah. Hello, girls! What may I do for you?" warmly replied Friedman. That smile he had that made the girls feel they were there with someone trustworthy. Someone they can always depend on.

"Grandpa!" Ellen yelled out. She was always happy to see him regardless of the circumstances.

"Granddaughter! How are you?" he replied and then gave her a hug. The other five didn't want to interrupt the warm embrace but they felt like some sort of doomsday clock was ticking.

"We need you to tell us more about MacArthur!" Kaoru yelled out. The sudden burst caused the older man to slightly jump.

That question seemed to take a stab at him. It's as if he had just heard _You're under arrest!_. It carried the same weight on him.

"I knew I was going to get asked that eventually. Seems like we already have ourselves another villain here."

"Why? What more do you know about him?" Hiyori asked.

"Come on in. I'll tell you something I didn't tell the rest."

The girls followed him into the same room where they were told that story on the night of the festival about a year ago. They were also greeted by Akane who was currently helping him do some research.

"Glad to have you back, girls. What brings you all here?" she said as soon as she saw them. She was happy to see them mature over the year.

"They want more details on who MacArthur is," Friedman responded. Hearing his name caused Akane to cover her mouth in slight shock. She was hoping they didn't fight monsters of that nature. If they did, then she was glad to still see them alive.

After they were all seated, the older man warned them about what they were about to hear and that it would be somewhat of a lengthy story. The six stated that they were prepared.

"I'm sure you were told that MacArthur was a younger colleague of mine. Yes that is true. We were both doing research on noro and soon after, we went our separate ways. He went a different route doing research on the T-Virus under the man who exemplified the very definition of evil, Albert Wesker. Throughout his 'career', he was responsible for countless murders. He used it as a means to get whatever research material he wanted. A general and a scientist. What a combination."

That name was one they do not recall hearing. Maybe they heard it one way or another in the news when they were younger and thought nothing of it since they were just young children. They can't imagine how much worse he was compared to MacArthur. If MacArthur invites him over, then there would be no way they would win.

"That all sounds so horrible," Mai commented. She felt a lump in her throat. She still couldn't believe someone like that was in their country. Plotting on what he was going to do next.

"We don't have to worry about Albert, do we?" Sayaka asked with her hand raised in the air.

"No. He was killed in 2009 by two agents inside a volcano. Imagine the celebrations."

Mai felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders the moment she heard the older man say he was killed. She let out a sigh of relief.

"Days ago I came across an article without clear sources that stated he committed a heinous act on a village in Egypt. Is that true?" Hiyori recalled.

"I'm afraid to say it's true. He wanted to test out a prototype of the Omni virus he spent years working on. All it did was mutate the living daylights out of most of the citizens there. Some, especially younger people, died instantly while others fought to the death. There were those who got lucky to get away from it all. The ones who refused to take part in all of this."

There was this uneasy aura lingering in the air. The girls were already terrified but they were warned. All they had to do was muster up the courage to hear the rest of it all and take time to process it. They were afraid that MacArthur would kidnap Toji and experiment on them. They were even afraid he would barge through the door and attack. Ellen was worried about her grandpa.

"There was something I never told anybody else and that is Project Douglas."

"Project Douglas?" questioned Akane.

"Yes. It's a group of 6 soldiers that MacArthur has ready at his disposal. They'll attack whoever he wants without question. The group was named after his grandfather, Douglas MacArthur."

"Where did they come from?" Kanami asked.

"MacArthur was selective on who was chosen for the project. He preferred children who came from poor families, such as farmers, because he knew those families did not have the power to fight against it. Because they lived in poverty, they were quick to sell their children for a large amount of money. Child soldiers. They had memories of their families wiped out and were given the last name Douglas. They became obedient and killed on instinct. Poor kids grew up to be cold-blooded killers. I still remember their names."

"What were their names? I kind of have a feeling we have to know. We will definitely come across them," Ellen replied.

"Their names were Sergio, Lawrence, Dennis, Bertram, Francisco, and Emily. I have to warn you, girls. Exercise extreme caution should you encounter any of them. They will not hesitate to attack if they feel you will get in MacArthur's way."

"And if they want to attack?" Sayaka asked.

"They're not enhanced or anything. If MacArthur has injected them with the Omni virus, then be prepared. If it's all six of you, then you'll stand a chance. If it's one or two of you, then you run. Your Jin'i should faster than their enhanced speed, I believe. Keep in mind that this is just speculation."

"All this is so scary. This feels nothing like fighting aradama," Mai commented with a shaky expression. A new challenge awaits them with a new group of monsters to overcome. Six soldiers. Six that they will have to bring down one way or another. However, there is an important detail that they don't know about. They actually have five left to go. Maki and Suzuka brought one down after a tough fight.

"There are details about the Omni virus that I did not tell you. I know the enhancements seem promising but let me tell you something. To allow the virus to have an effect on anybody, longevity was sacrificed. I don't know exactly what the lifespan of someone with the virus is. There is another ability that depends entirely on the genes of the individual. Alternatively, you can say that it is completely random. That is the ability to generate claws."

"I swear to God if that bastard has claws. He already sounds tough enough!" Kaoru said with slight anger and annoyance in her voice.

"How much research have you done?" Akane finally spoke up.

"When I first found out that MacArthur had planned to visit, I locked myself away and started doing heavy research. Anything from his current biography to his work with viruses."

"What the hell are we dealing with?" Kanami whispered to herself. It was loud enough for Hiyori to hear. She felt the same way and would assume the rest felt the same.

"I'll tell you what. I'll let you spend the night here. You probably don't feel safe going out there," Friedman stated as he looked outside to see the night sky.

* * *

Note: Albert Wesker was the main antagonist of the Resident Evil series up until Resident Evil 5.


	15. Chapter 13

Note: Hello, all. So far my rate for chapter uploads is around two weeks at a time. I was working on chapter 14 (it was chapter 13 at the time). After reaching about halfway of it, I realized I missed an important event. I went back and worked on a new chapter which is now labeled chapter 13 and the one I was originally working on labeled chapter 14. I hope that made sense. Anyway, pardon the tardiness.

* * *

Chapter 13

Kanami, Hiyori, Mai, Sayaka, Ellen, and Kaoru were getting ready for bed. They were given the same room they had the last time they visited the village. The same room where Ellen told them all to shut up because they were being very noisy. Hiyori especially remembers Ellen blaming her for being the loudest when Kanami was the one doing all the talking. At least Kaoru didn't have to worry about strenuous training the morning she woke up. What was on her mind was the training they'll possibly have to go through in order to overcome the new wave of foes. She thinks that's for another day. Both thoughts had the same exhausting effect on her.

Everything they heard tonight has got them a little paranoid. They were struck with fear that MacArthur would launch a strike at their location. It could happen in a few minutes, in an hour, tomorrow, or perhaps never. An invasion much worse than what they faced when soldiers from the STT arrived and treated them like aradama. At the time, they were worried about fighting Yukari and her regime. Yukari and MacArthur are entirely different people. Yukari was a Toji possessed by an aradama. They knew what they were fighting against. On the other hand, MacArthur was unknown to them. What abilities can they expect? They heard many things about the virus he most likely has but is there some sort of secret ability that only he knows? Something like a trump card?

"So what are we doing with that guy?" Kaoru asked. She was spread out over her futon. She just plopped onto it and how she landed was how she was going to stay.

"What do you mean, Kaoru?" asked Ellen. She was currently adjusting herself to be in a comfortable position.

"Do we kill him or do we wait until he just leaves? I'd prefer the latter. I don't feel like exerting the effort."

"Hopefully he just leaves," Hiyori replied.

"He doesn't look like the kind who will just leave. Look at what he did in Egypt," Kanami said.

"Kanami's right," Hiyori said with a defeated sigh. "He won't be leaving without a fight. We're not going to let him run any experiments on Toji. Think of how many of them will be in danger," There was that determination that Kanami saw when she first met her.

"Do you think we'll have to inject ourselves with the Omni virus to be able to beat him?" Sayaka asked. She was pretty much asleep already. She could already be dreaming and only uttered those words without realizing it.

"Don't even think about that, Sayaka-chan!" Mai lightly scolded. They didn't know if there was no turning back once affected. At least when one is injected with noro, they can have it removed. This was seen with Suzuka.

"We can spend all night talking about this but we have to go to sleep. We still have to go to school tomorrow. We have to get up very early so we don't end up late," Hiyori told everyone. Any further conversation would lead to something being said that would freak them out and not let them sleep.

* * *

_Everything was on fire. It looked like one of those post-apocalyptic scenes from movies. A war definitely ravaged through Japan. The village was in a state of chaos. People were in a frenzy. Haunting screams that shattered the eardrums spread throughout. The screams were accompanied by the sounds of sirens from various directions._

_Kanami was lying on her back. She was panting heavily. Her dirty uniform was torn in many places and her S-Equipment was broken beyond repair. Her face was full of wounds. She was missing her left arm. She was holding the remaining half of Chidori in her right hand. What plagued her mind was that death was most likely inevitable. _

_With excruciating pain, she slowly turned to her side. What she saw caused her to gasp. Several meters from her was a tall, bulky man standing doing absolutely nothing. In his right hand he was holding a bloody Echizen Yasutsugu. His left hand was raised at eye level. On his palm rested Ellen's head. Death being inevitable was certainly set in stone now. Kanami slowly turned her head and saw Hiyori. She was already dead. Kanami saw those dead eyes of hers. Her cold, emotionless face. The broken visor from her S-Equipment still on her face. The darkness of the area was making it hard to see the blood on her already dark, green uniform. Changing the direction of her view, Mai was found lying down with two okatanas planted into her. Hers and Sayaka's. No sign of life was found within Kaoru or Sayaka. They were both found close to Mai. She lost her closest friends. All of them. Friends she saw as family. _

"_This is all your fault," Hiyori said with a tone that stabbed Kanami's chest. The only thing that moved was her mouth. Her blank eyes still dead."You're the reason we're dead."_

"_N-no. I would never!" Kanami yelled back. Her voice caused MacArthur to finally speak up. _

"_You managed to defeat Yukari. You managed to defeat Tagitsu. And yet here we are together. You failed to defeat me. You made the mistake of trying to fight me. Where did that bring you? To your unfortunate end," MacArthur stated without the slightest tone of someone who had just been victorious. He looked just as menacing as Kanami had pictured. He then turned towards her and lightly tossed Ellen's head aside._

"_Looks like you're the only one alive. You have no strength to fight me anymore. Your okatana is broken and it looks like you're moments from death," MacArthur walked over and kneeled down in front of Kanami. He said as coldly as he can, "Let's end this."_

_He stood over her, Ellen's okatana still in his hand. He gripped the hilt with both hands and pointed it over her. Kanami was in tears and was breathing heavily. _

"_Please don't," Kanami could barely cry out. It's like she lost her voice._

"_Stop!" Kanami yelled as the sword came crashing down._

"_Die!"_

* * *

"No!" Kanami yelled as she shot up on the futon. She was drenched in sweat and had trouble breathing. Her heart was about ready to burst out of her chest any minute now. She felt her left arm to make sure it was there. She then put her hand on the pillow and that as well was covered in sweat. She looked behind her and saw her okatana. It was very early in the morning.

"I'm glad you're safe," Kanami whispered as she held Chidori close to her. The pain she'd feel if she were to lose Chidori was indescribable. Her mother fought with it. It was passed down to her.

She looked up and saw Hiyori sitting close by from the corner of her eye. Kanami teared up at the sight of her. Her presence made her feel like everything was okay. Kanami rushed over to Hiyori to give her a hug.

"It's okay, Kanami," Hiyori said in a soothing voice while rubbing Kanami's back. "You were shaking. Tell me what happened."

"We… lose, Hiyori-chan!" she managed to say.

"What do you mean?" Hiyori had a worried expression plastered on her face. Kanami sloppily wiped away her tears and slowly took several deep breaths to regain her composure. Hiyori waited patiently until the other girl was ready to talk.

"I had a dream last night. Or nightmare. The village was destroyed and we went up against MacArthur. We all die fighting him, Hiyori-chan. Our S-Equipment wasn't enough."

"I-it was only a dream, Kanami. It was only a dream," Hiyori said. Terror crossed her mind as she thought that this could possibly be their future. If it was, then what? What can they do? She kept telling herself that it was only a dream. Nothing more.

"What's going on in here?" Ellen asked as she walked into the room. At the sight of Ellen, Kanami's heart sank and she turned pale. She felt dizzy and put a hand to her forehead. She felt like she was going to throw up.

"Kanami! What's wrong?" Mai rushed over to Kanami. She caught her before she fell back.

"I had a nightmare. We fought against MacArthur and failed. We all end up dead," Kanami'd rather not tell them what happens to Ellen.

"Oh, Kanami," Mai said with concern in her voice as she held onto Kanami. "It was only a dream."

"But it felt so real…"

"We'll overcome this. I know we will," Hiyori said. Moments after she said that, there was the sound of growling.

"Way to ruin the mood," Kaoru said with her usual sarcastic tone.

"I'm sorry," Sayaka said as she had her hands on her stomach.

"Let's lighten the mood here. Let's go grab something to eat before we're off!" Ellen yelled with enthusiasm.

Kanami chuckled a bit at her statement. Who could be excited to eat very early in the morning? She can always count on her friends to make her feel better. Her nightmare gave her a dark glimpse of what can happen to them. She would have to protect them no matter the circumstance. A fate worse than anything they would have encountered fighting aradama. Even when they fought Tagitsuhime. It was only a dream.

* * *

Note: Whether that was just a dream or a possible reality, that is up to you to decide for yourselves. Whatever you want that to be.


	16. Chapter 14

Note: Hello, all. Here is the next chapter. For those who follow this story, I apologize. The email that was sent out said chapter 15 for the previous chapter. I quickly fixed that when I caught it after I uploaded it.

* * *

Chapter 14

The next morning, MacArthur was outside of the hidden base making observations of his surroundings. In reality, he was actually thinking as opposed to paying attention to what was around him. He was thinking about what was going to be his next move. What place will he target? Will he need more reinforcements than the ones provided to him? Or will he be able to get the job done without them? So many questions.

"I'm going to need noro for the soldier. It doesn't look like these people have any stored here," MacArthur said to himself. He had his elbow against a tree and his right cheek against his fist. He was looking over a grand horizon. A few hills around and a sea of trees without the floor in sight. It looked to be the perfect view for thinking. One to clear one's mind of all other unwanted thoughts.

"I hate to say this. I know I called her a failure but I think I'm going to need Tagitsu. Someone to help me collect vast amounts of noro. Or maybe just enough for one soldier to see how it works out. How do I bring her here though? She was sealed in the Netherworld by Toji. Unruly wretches. I'll figure it out somehow. What do you gentlemen think?" MacArthur directed his last question to the group of soldiers from the Special Ritual Riot Squad. He did not have to turn around to acknowledge their presence. He knew they were coming from a short distance away.

"He knew we were here," one soldier said from behind the group. There were five men who were sent to apprehend MacArthur.

"H-hands in the air!" said the leader and the one who was at the very front of the group. He felt his sweat slowing creeping down his face. They were face-to-face with someone with an ugly reputation. Chances are this was probably their last mission.

"You seem scared. Looks like you know too much about me to warrant such a reaction. What have they told you about me? I'm a murderous psychopath? Let me tell you all something. You're afraid because you don't know how viruses work. You don't know what it takes to perfect one. Sacrifice is needed. The end result could be for the betterment of humanity or it can lead to its destruction. Then again. Whether it would improve humanity or not can only be viewed through the eyes of the creator." MacArthur ended that last sentence with a smile.

"He talks too much…" Came a voice from within the group.

"Kill him!" said the leader. He did his best to put on a brave face.

He noticed that the rest of them did not follow his order after waiting for what felt like an eternity. He turned around to see that the other four were stabbed through the throat by four young individuals. This was definitely his last mission. His heartbeat raced as a million thoughts ran through his head as he thought about what MacArthur has in store for him. He'd rather die on the spot than be captured and forced to go through experimental torture. When the four unfortunate soldiers dropped, he let go of his weapon in a panic and made a break for it.

"Should we go after him?" Sergio said. Sergio was the oldest of the group, counting Francisco. He was apparently one pizza slice away from fat. His short beard was something he was proud of.

"Leave him to me," replied MacArthur.

Without wasting a moment, MacArthur went running after him. He was clearly faster. His eyes registering the image of the man getting closer. Whether he was fast because of the virus or not was unknown. When MacArthur was uncomfortably close, he jumped high enough to be right over the soldier. The moment he was upside down and right above his victim, he reached down, grabbed his head, and turned it violently to snap his neck.

"What a pathetic group," MacArthur said as he landed. He turned around to look at the body and wondered if this was the best they could do.

"It really sucks that you don't have claws. Think of what you could have done with them. And besides. What do we do about Arnold? Are we seeking revenge?" said Bertram after he caught up to him. The rest of the group followed him. He was the tallest of the group and also appeared to be the strongest given his muscular build.

"I know. Don't remind me," MacArthur stated with an annoyed expression and with his left palm on his forehead. "I couldn't care less about Arnold. He was only with us for a short amount of time. He dragged all of us down. I forgot to ask. Emily. How did the observation go? I know they sent in a weak parasite."

"It was a failure. Kanami was it? Well she was with another girl. She was wearing the same uniform. They didn't fight the creature. They ran away." Emily reported. She was a young woman with blonde hair and green eyes. She had a side ponytail that draped over her left shoulder.

"It wouldn't have made a great observation. Trust me. There's not -" MacArthur stopped mid sentence and started coughing. He turned around and continued coughing a bit more. He looked at his left hand and saw he coughed up blood. He then put his right hand to his heart to make sure he was all right.

_This surely has to be some side effect of the Omni virus_, MacArthur thought. He was hoping that it wasn't a sign that he was on his way out.

"What _was_ that?" Lawrence asked with a concerned expression. Lawrence was a young man with fairly light skin. He wore black thick-framed glasses and had his hair combed back.

"Nothing. Don't pay it any mind. I'll be fine," MacArthur stated after turning around. "There is something I've been thinking about. I've been thinking about bringing back Tagitsu. The problem is that she's been sealed in the Netherworld. Surely you've at least heard of its existence."

"Yeah. But how? I don't think it's some physical thing. It's not like you can go in there and bring her here," Sergio argued.

"I do have a suggestion. Would a machine that links our world with the Netherworld work? Do you know if such a thing exists?" Dennis asked after being mostly quiet for the duration of the mission. He had his back against a tree and appeared to be busy with his thoughts. He was rather quiet but also the smartest of the group.

"A machine, huh? I don't know if one exists. If it did, I don't know if these scientists would know how to build one. You know. Let's go ask about it."

MacArthur pulled five syringes from his pocket. Syringes that contained the Omni virus.

"I'm going to need you all do something for me first."

* * *

"Ah! MacArthur. You're back," said Yuichiro, the lead scientist. He was sitting in the meeting room going through some files. He had a stack of folders with only a few sheets of paper in each of them.

"Good day. I was having a conversation with my soldiers and an idea came up that sounds rather absurd. Do you know of any sort of machine that links our world with the Netherworld?"

"You're thinking of the Nether Gate. A machine that is currently in the prototype stages. Can't guarantee that it would work. Why do you need it?"

"I appreciate the help you've offered me with the creatures you have but I need someone stronger. Do not be alarmed when I tell you this. I need Tagitsu."

The scientist's heart dropped to his stomach. What could MacArthur want with her? She's unleashed so much chaos. Was this man's intentions not what they seemed to be? What is he really after? What does his project have to do with that dreaded aradama?

"I'm sorry. If that's what you're trying to do, then our deal is done here! We can't help you any further." Yuichiro bolted up while slamming the desk with both hands in the process.

"I don't think you have much of a choice here. I can kill you right here and now if I wanted to. You are going to build me a device. Don't forget that I can easily find out where your family lives."

There it was. MacArthur was right there revealing what kind of person he really was. The failing company should never have asked for his help. Now they have no choice but to do whatever he wanted in order to stay alive. It was only a matter of time until the general actually kills them when they are no longer needed.

* * *

Note: The way MacArthur killed the lead soldier comes from Resident Evil 5. I tried my best to replicate it. I don't know if links are allowed here but I'll do it this way for now until I figure out if I can. For those interested, you can type in "resident evil 5 wesker neck snap" on YouTube. There should be a 14-second video titled, "RESIDENT EVIL 5 chris neck snap death".


	17. Chapter 15

Note: Hello, all. Here is the next chapter. This was another fun one to write. This year is almost over and we're going into a new decade. Scary how time just flies on by. It'll be 2030 before we even know it.

* * *

Chapter 15

"What a plane you have here," Francisco said for the fifth time as he pushed a small wooden crate to the side with his foot.

It was only him and the pilot aboard a very packed cargo plane. The boxes that were scattered about had labels with names of various countries. Francisco just couldn't find Japan's label anywhere. It's as if every country on Earth was labeled here somewhere expect Japan. It's safe to say that some of them have never seen sunlight. The cramped aircraft was smaller than a cargo pilot would like. The walls were made of different sheets of metal of various colors. Kind of like making a shirt with different pieces of cloth of different styles. The craft had only one dim bulb that flickered often. Other than the horrid interior, what made Francisco nervous was that the cargo plane was constantly shaking and it sounded like it was going to fall apart.

"Thanks! She's my pride and joy," said the jolly pilot as he walked out of the cockpit. Mohammed was a man who loved his job. He looked to be in his early 40s. He wore a white t-shirt with an unbuttoned plaid shirt over it. His white shirt had a large sweat stain around the collar. There was also the presence of dried oil stains spread throughout. His dark pants seemed to be the cleanest thing he had on.

"Aren't you supposed to be piloting this thing?" Francisco asked.

"It's all right, son. It's on autopilot. The old folks never said you had glowing red eyes. They look cool!" The pilot commented.

_Shit!_, Francisco thought as he quickly looked away. The pill seemed to have lasted a very long time. From the time he exited the prison up until now it seems. Or maybe earlier. The damn thing doesn't have a mirror. They were on the aircraft for a few hours now.

"I was born this way. I get that a lot," Francisco said. The pilot looked like he didn't have any knowledge on what viruses were. He'd have to do a lot more explaining if he told the man he harbored the Omni virus.

"Makes sense to me," replied Mohammed after giving it some thought.

"So where are you landing this thing?"

"Landing?" The pilot asked as he raised an eyebrow in confusion. To him it sounded like the word was said in a foreign language.

"Yes… Lan-ding." Francisco repeated it again hoping the pilot understood this time.

"We're not landing, son. I'm going low enough so you can jump. I got parachutes," Mohammed said. He went over to a shelf and pulled out a parachute from the unorganized pile. The sudden pull caused other parachutes to fall to the floor.

"You gotta be fucking kidding me."

"Nope. Here," Mohammed hit Francisco's chest with the parachute.

"Speaking of which, we're already here. Get ready now!" The pilot said as he quickly made his way back into the cockpit.

The aircraft slowly started to descend until it got low enough. Francisco's heart was beating fast as he waited for the pilot to tell him to jump. He stood near the door, weapons in hand, and had the parachute on his back. This is the first time he's ever had to jump out of an airplane.

"Go!" yelled the other man.

Francisco took a deep breath, opened the door, and jumped out.

* * *

"You know what? Fuck that guy," Francisco said as he took off his parachute. He finally landed in Japan and who knows how long it would take him to find MacArthur? He hopes he would run into someone who would know of his whereabouts. Any information would be useful. He walked over to where his shotgun landed because it slipped out of his hand meters before he landed.

"Time to get going. I'll just have to look for him now. I don't care how lo-," Francisco stopped mid sentence when he heard a roar. A roar he was not familiar with.

A black and orange quadrupedal beast came out of some bushes nearby. It looked like a dinosaur. A Triceratops to be more accurate.

"What the actual fuck is that?" Francisco quietly said as he slowly readied the shotgun.

The monster rushed over to him and Francisco jumped out of the way. It crashed into a tree with a loud boom. He pointed the shotgun at it and fired a shell. The bullets seemed to do no damage to the monster. The monster turned around and again rushed over to him.

"I can do this all day you bastard!" He said as he put the shotgun away and readied the Grim Reaper. He fired several bullets and again they did no damage.

"What is this shit made of?"

The beast stomped around and went to him at an even faster speed than before. Francisco braced himself for the worst. He formed an "X" with his arms in front of his face and clenched his fists. He made himself heavy so he can lessen the impact. At least he hoped it was possible.

The monster slammed him into a tree and he fell on his stomach. He felt a stinging pain from a few places. His back and the spaces between his knuckles. He slowly looked up and saw the beast just standing around. He looked to where his hands were hurting and opened his eyes wide. Claws. White bony ones. This has to be an effect of the virus. He got up and was prepared to fight it until he heard voices coming from a distance.

"Over here, Kaoru!"

Soon after, he saw a blonde girl run in with a katana in her hand to deliver a strike to the monster. Another girl then came running behind her. A short girl with pink twintails with a sword way longer than she was. They were both glowing. She slammed the creature with her katana, slicing it in half. The impact left a large crack on the floor. It's as if they were made for this. Francisco quickly learned how to retract the claws and was impressed by how easily they got the job done. Maybe those monsters can only be defeated with swords.

"Good job, Ellen. Although this aradama was large, it was easy," said the girl with pink hair. She looked around and saw Francisco standing idly by. "Who are you?"

_The short one doesn't have much of a personality, does she? Whatever. Ellen's the blonde and Kaoru's the one with pink hair. Got it._ Francisco made a mental note to himself. The second half of it will most likely be useful later.

"Are you lost?" asked Ellen.

Both girls stopped dead in their tracks when they got a good look at Francisco's eyes. Red and glowing brightly. Ellen and Kaoru both drew their swords again and braced for combat.

"Get your okatana ready, Kaoru." Ellen somewhat ordered.

"What is with you two? Looks like you know who I am. I'm not here to fight you," Francisco said with his hands raised half-way in the air.

"You can't trick us! You have a virus," spat Kaoru.

"How do you know about this? I won't deny it. I do," responded Francisco.

"What's your name?" Ellen asked. She was gripping her okatana tightly out of fear. This was it. They were going to fight someone who has a virus.

"Name's Francisco-" Francisco stopped as he saw Ellen disappear and reappear over him, ready to strike.

He dodged her attack by jumping out of the way. He then jumped out of the way again when the larger okatana came crashing down.

"I told you. I'm not here to fight you." It didn't look like the two were going to listen because they both tried to strike him down again. Francisco clenched his fists and his claws came out. He wouldn't use his shotgun against them. He didn't even want to hurt them.

"Y-you have claws…?" Ellen said with a terrified expression.

"I do. I'm not fucking around, alright? I need to know where the hell MacArthur is."

"You're one of the six who are a part of Project Douglas, right?" Kaoru asked.

"You two know too much. How do you know about that?" Francisco let out a defeated sigh and sat down on a nearby tree stump. "I _was_ a part of Project Douglas. That man sent me on a mission in Germany to retrieve a sample of the Omni virus that was stolen from him. I found it and bolted out of that lab. In making my escape, I got severely injured and was on the edge of death. I injected myself with the Omni virus to survive. I was in a prison in Egypt when I heard about MacArthur's trip to this country and that's why I came here. He's going to put you through so much shit. I have to end him."

"My grandpa told me this. Not many of us know about him. We're trying to keep information under control," Ellen responded.

"So you're not on his side then. It looks like you've been through a lot in order to get here. I heard that injecting yourself with a virus is reckless," Kaoru said.

"It is. There's no going back. This is my life now. Anyways, what was that thing you brought down and why do you glow?"

"That was an aradama. We're Toji who are selected by okatana to destroy them. The state we were in allows us to take any kind of damage in exchange for mental fatigue," Ellen said with her usual cheerful demeanor.

"Bullets don't really have any effect on aradama," Kaoru commented as she stared at Francisco's weapons.

"Then I hope these claws do something. Where have I landed?"

"In Okayama prefecture. Very close to our school!" Ellen said with a wide smile.

"You should speak to our director. She has knowledge on all of this. You'll need to take it slow. She's old."

"If it'll get me closer to my objective, then sure."

"We're all honestly freaked out by the whole thing. There are six of us Toji who are the most knowledgeable. We were talking about how we hoped he would just leave after his work was done. You know? Without any casualties."

"Ellen? Was it? Yeah… no," Francisco said shaking his head. "He won't leave without a fight. I was basically raised by him. I know how he is. If he wants a fight, then I'm giving it to him."

Ellen remembered what Friedman said about the members, or former member, of Project Douglas' past. She knows Francisco does not remember his previous family. She didn't think it was a good idea to bring up the fact that he was bought and raised to be a killer. It is safe to say that MacArthur was a father to him. Maybe he'd learn when the time came.

"Ellen. Hurry up. Let's not waste any more time. Let's go visit that old lady."

"Right!"

_MacArthur. You're getting what's coming to you you son of a bitch._

* * *

Note: Francisco finally made it to Japan. He was properly introduced in Chapter 2 and here we are 13 chapters later. I noticed in the anime how gunfire from the soldiers never really did any damage to aradama. I figured Francisco's weapons aren't any better than what the Riot Squad had so they won't really do much against aradama.


	18. Chapter 16

Note: It's still pretty cool that we're in a new decade. Holidays were busy so I had no time to write. Now it's time to get back to my daily grind. Here's the next chapter. Also, looking forward to the OVA. For those who follow the story to get emails when a new chapter is uploaded, you would have seen that the previous chapter is exactly 2020 words.

* * *

Chapter 16

Getting attacked by two Toji, or two girls with swords, was something Francisco would have never thought would happen. It's mainly due to the fact that he didn't know what Toji were. A great part of his confusion was his ineffectiveness against the so-called aradama. For a weapon as strong as the shotgun, it had little to no effect against it. The virus gave him claws and it was unknown whether they would have any effect on those monsters.

Here he was sitting in an office at Osafune Girls' Academy. Ellen and Kaoru were standing by the director. The awkward stares he got from the students who were wandering about was an experience he'd want to forget soon. It's like some of them have never seen a guy in their life. His red eyes made some think he was injected with noro. _The hell is noro?_ he thought. Rumors would spread that he followed two girls into a building.

"Francisco, was it?" said Director Maniwa without giving him a glance. She was too busy going over a form that displayed current Toji activities. Having someone who's affected with a virus seated a desk's distance away made her a little uneasy. Before Francisco made his way into her office, Ellen and Kaoru had to explain everything what happened. Of course, Director Maniwa argued that Francisco could be playing a trick on them and could strike the moment they let their guard down. It's probably why the director made Ellen and Kaoru stand by her side as guards.

"Yes, ma'am." Francisco responded as seriously as he could.

"I'm going to go ahead and call you 'Frank' if that's okay with you." she said as she finally set down the form.

"That's fine. Don't worry about formalities. Just my name is fine."

"Where did you come from? I want to hear everything," the woman said as she squinted to get a good look at his red eyes. "I'm told you are here to get rid of that despot, MacArthur. Is that correct?"

"All right. Before I talk about my trip here, I'm going over my origins. I was part of a group known as Project Douglas. Soldiers who worked for MacArthur."

"You mentioned 'was'. Interesting. Now the trip."

"A little over a month ago, I was sent to Germany to retrieve a sample of the Omni virus that was supposedly stolen from MacArthur. I don't remember the name of the city. It was located in a medical facility that I damn know. After successfully escaping the lab, I was soon injured by monsters that were unleashed. I was on the brink of death. My red eyes are the result of injecting myself with the virus. I had to survive and that's when I realized the path I was going. I soon found myself in an Egyptian prison and that's where I learned of MacArthur's trip here. I escaped and after pulling a few strings with several individuals, I ended up here. I just got here and already I was attacked by this orange and black creature."

It would take some time for the older woman to fully grasp every little detail of Francisco's endeavors to get to Japan. He traversed three countries in a month. Regardless, he was going to be a big help since he is the closest to MacArthur. Just what does he know about the man?

"Sorry for making you girls stand there for so long. You can have a seat," said Maniwa with an embarrassed chuckle.

"Finally!" said Kaoru as she threw her arms in the air. It was comical to see her grab a chair, slam it on the floor and sit down. Nene jumped down to her lap. Francisco does not make any mention of the little creature. He's seen so much that nothing fazes him anymore.

"What can you tell us about MacArthur?" said Maniwa, returning to her serious demeanor.

"What I can tell you is that he's going to unleash so much chaos. Shit will go down. We have to stop him. For someone who gets off to that kinda shit, I have never seen him angry, though."

Maniwa was about to speak but the knocking on the door cut her off. The door opened and a man came in. He appeared to be on the older side given the wrinkles. He had glasses and was dressed casually for someone who was allowed to barge in like that.

"Grandpa!" yelled Ellen.

"Ellen!" he yelled as he walked over to give her a hug.

"Dr. Friedman. It's good to see you," the woman said.

"Francisco Salazar," Friedman read from a file folder he held open in his hands. During the time when Ellen and Kaoru talked to their director before Francisco was allowed into her office, the older woman made a call to Richard Friedman and asked him to come over as soon as possible.

Francisco was taken aback at the sudden reveal of his actual last name. He knew he'd hear it one day but not like this.

"Who the fuck are you really and how can you possibly know something like that?" said Francisco in a menacingly dark tone.

"Francisco!" cried Ellen.

Francisco took a deep breath and said, "Continue. Lay it out."

"You are the youngest child of 5. Your father is Fernando Salazar. An immigrant from Mexico. Your mother is Andrea Rodriguez. An immigrant from El Salvador. You were born and raised in El Paso, Texas. Your family was suffering and was on the verge of losing their farmland. MacArthur soon paid them a visit, no pun intended, and single-handedly saved them in exchange for you. In other words, he bought you and your family was paid lots. At the age of four. The decisions people make during a crisis."

"Are you okay, man?" Kaoru asked as she saw Francisco just sitting there without saying a word. He was lost in thought. His true identity hitting him like a bus. Is his family okay now? What's become of them? Will his siblings remember him? There is a question he must ask himself. Does he still want to kill MacArthur even though he pulled them out of a crisis?

"Hey! Are you still set on killing MacArthur or not?" Kaoru asked. This time louder so she can pull him out of his thoughts.

Francisco stood up and walked over to a window.

"MacArthur pulled my family out a disaster and practically raised me. Regardless, he's still fucked up. I thank him but he's still going down."

"What do you plan to do now?" Director Maniwa asked.

"Anything that brings us closer to him. The rounds of my weapons will weaken him," Francisco clenched his right fist and claws came out. "These are going through his head," he said as he raised his fist.

"Does it hurt to bring the claws out?" Ellen asked as she tilted her head and had a finger on her chin.

"Every single time. The wounds heal after I retract them and again the claws have to cut through when I pull them out."

"That must suck," said Kaoru.

"I apologize for not introducing myself. My name's Richard Friedman," he said as he extended his arm to give Francisco a handshake.

"Good to meet you, sir," Francisco said as he shook his hand.

"How does that virus feel?"

"I don't feel any different. I actually don't know the full details when it comes to enhancements. Maybe it's something I'll have to learn as time passes."

"He used to be a colleague of mine back in the day. We used to work on experiments involving noro."

"You're bullshitting. Really? What the hell happened?" It was true when they say it's a small world. Someone who knew MacArthur years ago.

"We had severe disagreements. MacArthur was brilliant but power-hungry. He wanted to take the noro research in another direction. He sought ways to make some sort of weapon. He's never let that ambition go it seems. He's still planning to use noro."

"Then what are we doing sitting around? There could be Toji in danger!" Ellen said with concern written all over her face.

"Yeah, you're right. Someone's going to have to tell me what noro is in the future. What would be my or our next step?" Francisco said as he went back to the window.

"I want you, Ellen, and Kaoru to go to the Special Sword Administration Bureau to see Yukari. She could be of great assistant. She's the head of the administration," said the director.

"Then let's head to it. It looks like we got a lot of work to do," Francisco said as he walked toward Ellen and Kaoru.

* * *

Note: There's chapter 16. I'm thinking about that Nether Gate mentioned two chapters ago. Would it be too unrealistic if the thing is built in a few hours or a little under a full day? If I choose a few days, then I think I'll have to fill in the gap in the Toji part of the story. I don't know.


	19. Chapter 17

Note: Hello, all. Here is the next chapter. I also really liked writing this one. Things will be slower now that I started school again after two years.

* * *

Chapter 17

"I'm really proud of you all. It looks like the Nether Gate will be up and running soon. We're going to need all the help we can get," MacArthur said with a smile on his face.

The location where the machine was being built was in a dimly-lit testing room. Computers decorated the main test zone with screens that displayed numerous charts, graphs, and formulas. Countless unorganized wires connected each and every one of them. If the scientists used the room before, then their experiments were successful since the computers looked fine and didn't have a single scratch. Maybe they just got replaced recently. Who knows? The room also had a smaller area that was protected by this very thick glass should the device malfunction and blow up. The machine blowing up on the general wasn't a problem since he was able to quickly heal. He sadly cannot say the same for the rest of his team. It was still in its early stages so no one can really know what is going to happen. Either Tagitsu will show up as normal or she'll look different in a bizarre kind of way. This looked to be delicate stuff.

MacArthur was not helping the rest of them build the machine. He stood by the protective glass with his arms crossed as he just watched them. He knows they would do a much better job at building it without his help. Anything involving the netherworld or noro was now outside his area of expertise since he hasn't touched on this topic for years. He was just excited to see the progress being made. Several of the individuals kept looking at him from the corner of their eyes. They felt like hostages. In a way they were forced to build the Nether Gate. They were afraid he was going to scold them should it look like they were slacking off but there he was. He was standing there with a smile on his face.

"How much longer?" MacArthur asked as he walked towards the machine.

"It just needs a few more adjustments," said one of them as he was typing at a computer.

"Done!" yelled another.

The machine had a circular design. The circular pad had four equally-spaced very bright rods that rested at the border. Imagine a clock being the pad with a rod located on the 12, 3, 6, and 9. Hanging on top of the device was something that looked like a circular mirror. In reality it was a very large magnet. Each of the rods had a small bundle of wires that were connected to a small box from under the platform. A very simple design but they will all make sure it works. All it needed to work was noro. The noro was like its battery source. A container of it went inside the circular pad.

"This is all we have but it's enough to get the gate working," Yuichiro came out of a room holding a small tank of noro. It was the size of a coffee thermos. Maybe this was someone's coffee thermos and they dumped out its contents to store the noro.

"Perfect. I didn't think you had any here. I've been looking forward to meeting the aradama princess," MacArthur said as he held the tank. He stared at it as if he had just found the Holy Grail. This little thing was going to propel his experiment forward.

MacArthur walked onto the pad with the tank in his hands. He opened the compartment at the very center and inserted the noro as if inserting a battery into a clock. He closed it and took a deep breath.

"Fire up when ready."

Everybody was already behind the protective glass waiting for MacArthur. When he walked behind it, the lead scientist began working on the main computer. He flipped several switches into the "on" position and pushed the red button. The four rods started spinning around the pad at a very high speed. The motion caused everyone to slightly cover their eyes due to the brightness. With all the noise coming out of the machine, they were beginning to think that it was going to break down and fling pieces all over the place.

There was a massive flash of light as if someone threw a flash grenade. Everyone looked away to prevent blindness. This was something major so they'd rather not go blind.

"Yukari how dare you!" was the first thing to come out of the aradama princess' mouth as she appeared on the pad. That voice that can send shivers down a spine.

_We did it. We brought her back from the netherworld._ MacArthur thought in disbelief. Everyone else was equally shocked at their apparent success. The creature that had caused absolute chaos was in the room with them.

"Wait. What is this place?" Tagitsuhime said as she looked around the room.

"Welcome back from the netherworld! Great to meet you!" MacArthur said as he walked over to her.

"The netherworld? I wasn't there," Tagitsuhime spat back.

"E-excuse me? What do you mean? What was it that you yelled out?" MacArthur said with great confusion in his voice.

"The young Toji freed her little lovebird from my clutches. I was going to strike them down and then Yukari smashed the ceiling and the three of them fell through. I then ended up here."

"When did this happen?" MacArthur's face twisted into one of horror.

"What year is this?"

"2019."

"Toward the end of last year then."

The man slowly turned toward the group of individuals who were all slightly shaking in fear.

"You all built a time machine! You brought Tagitsu here from the past!"

"We're sorry! We didn't know!" yelled Yuichiro.

"Out of the way!" MacArthur yelled to Tagitsuhime. She was somewhat confused.

She obeyed and jumped out of the way. MacArthur went over to the machine and started smashing it. He broke off the rods. He used one of them to break the mirror-like magnet, the broken pieces raining down on him. He broke the main pad in half with his insurmountable strength using only his hands. He flung one of the halves across the room and smashed one of the computer's monitors.

"We are not messing with this stuff. I don't know how this supposed time travel works seeing as how nothing has changed. At least I don't think it has," MacArthur said as he was breathing heavily and sweating. He was still holding two of the rods. This was the first time any of the members of the group has seen him out of character.

There was then the sound of thunder rumbling that lasted five seconds.

Everybody in the room looked up.

"We messed with something we shouldn't have," MacArthur said.

Yuichiro stepped forward and stood by MacArthur and asked, "What now?"

The general quickly regained his composure and stepped in front of the aradama princess.

"The six Toji and Yukari are very much alive today. My name's Wilbur O. MacArthur. How would you like to have things go your way? I can help you," MacArthur said as he extended his hand to her.

"Do you expect me to suddenly believe you? I just met you," Tagitsuhime said with a slight hint of annoyance in her voice.

"I'm a man of my word. I will make it happen. We can get rid of any Toji who comes between us and your goal. You were feared and dangerous back in your time. I need you to do the same in ours."

"He's right. He doesn't bullshit. He'll make it happen," Lawrence said as he was leaning in the doorway to the test room.

"Then what do you need me to do, MacArthur?" The way Tagitsuhime said it made it seem like she wasn't fully on board with the whole thing.

"I'm going to need you to bring me noro. Your desired future is within your reach. I'll help you kill any Toji."

* * *

MacArthur stepped outside of the base to get some fresh air after being inside a dark room after a mind-shattering experience. He didn't think something like that was possible. Something that only existed in fiction.

"So it is raining, then."

* * *

Note: "'You were feared and dangerous back in your time. I need you to do the same in ours.'" The inspiration for that quote comes from my favorite quote in Avengers: Endgame where Thanos says, "They're not trying to stop something I'm going to do in our time. They're trying to undo something I've already done in theirs."

What Tagitsuhime described was what happened towards the end of episode 22.


	20. Chapter 18

Note: Hello, all. Here is the next chapter. This semester is a heavy as hell. Reading homework has me sleeping until about 2 in the morning plus I work most days. So yeah. Work in the day and class in the evening.

* * *

Chapter 18

Francisco, Ellen, and Kaoru finally made it to the Special Sword Administration Bureau in Kamakura City. It was already night when they arrived. To Ellen and Kaoru's surprise, they were greeted by Kanami, Mai, Hiyori, and Sayaka in Yukari's office.

"Look! It's everyone!" Ellen exclaimed. It seemed like forever since she saw them even though it's been a little less than a day.

"Ellen! Kaoru! How are you two and who's this?" Kanami asked. She was always happy to have the group together but there was now an extra person in their group.

"This is Fra-" Ellen managed to say before Francisco cut her off by putting his arm in front of her.

"Name's Francisco. I'm here because you're all about to be in some serious shit. I'm sure you've heard of MacArthur by now," Francisco said.

_The language on this one_, Suzuka thought. She was standing on Yukari's left side with Maki on the right.

"We have. According to Ellen's grandfather, you're one of the six he has at his side. So what are you doing here?" Hiyori asked that question with an accusing tone.

"_Was_. That fucker nearly got me killed. He's done things not worth mentioning. I became concerned when I heard he was coming here."

"So what are your plans?" Yukari asked after a close observation of Francisco's eyes. It was interesting to her that someone who was infected with a virus was in the same room as her.

"I'm here to put an end to him. I hope I can count on you all. I'll just go ahead and say it. I'm infected with the Omni virus so I have an edge here."

Sayaka walked over to Francisco and pulled on his sleeve. "How does the virus feel?"

"Oh. I honestly don't feel any different. The thing is that these hurt to pull out," Francisco said as he clenched his fists to bring the claws out.

Everyone slightly jumped at the sight of his claws while Yukari remained unfazed. He quickly put the claws away after seeing their reactions.

_Another ability that depends entirely on the genes of the individual. That is the ability to generate claws_, Mai thought back to the conversation they had with Ellen's grandfather.

There was a loud beep that came from the intercom located in the corner of the room near the left side of the door.

"Yukari! Yukari! We're under attack! I repeat! We're-" the voice of a man said before getting cut off. The sirens went off.

Kanami felt a lump in her throat when she thought that MacArthur was now beginning his attack.

"Attacked by who?" Yukari asked the intercom.

A voice came from the intercom before it got cut off again. All they heard was, "Tagitsuhime!"

Everyone had a look of despair and fear. How is she back?! How was she brought back from the netherworld? Did MacArthur have anything to do with this?

"We sealed her away in the netherworld! How is she back?!" Hiyori yelled.

"You did not, little hatchling. At least not yet, supposedly," Tagitsuhime said after smashing the doors open.

"_At least not yet." What does that mean?_, Kanami thought.

There she was. Tagitsuhime was standing there. The monster they sealed away was back. Kanami, Hiyori, Ellen, Kaoru, Mai, Sayaka, Maki, and Suzuka all pulled out their okatanas and activated Utsushi. Francisco stepped aside.

"This is for saving the little lovebirds that night, Yukari Origami," with that, Tagitsuhime lunged towards Yukari.

She was intercepted by Maki and Suzuka who pushed her back. Ellen took the initiative to fight Tagitsuhime and Kaoru followed after her. The other four then followed and it was a six-on-one fight. Every single one of them was coming in all sorts of directions. Tagitsuhime was still faster than all of them. The aradama princess brought them all down in a fight that didn't last fifteen seconds.

"You're all pathetic," Tagitsuhime said with that same coldness in her voice. "It looks like you have yourselves another ally. Who are you?"

"Francisco. They're practically my allies. Yes. You fuck with them, you fuck with me," Francisco said as he pulled his claws out. He wasn't risking any stray bullets. Yukari signaled for Maki and Suzuka to stand back.

"No... Don't," Mai pleaded while on the ground but he did not listen to her.

"She's going to kill you!" Hiyori yelled to him.

"Going against Tagitsuhime like that. What an idiot," Kaoru said.

"Oh my. Looks like you want to fight me too," Tagitsuhime said with glee.

"That's right. Come at me you little shit."

Tagitsuhime dashed towards Francisco and tried to strike him with both of her okatanas. He countered her strike with his claws and tried to stab her face with all his force. The aradama princess quickly moved out of the way. When she saw the split-second opening after dodging Francisco's attack, she went for the strike. At that moment, Francisco completely disappeared and reappeared right behind her. He tried to stab her in the back but Tagitsuhime dodged. Something he didn't know was that she was able to see into the future.

"He can teleport?!" Hiyori exclaimed after witnessing his disappearance and sudden reappearance.

"You're good. I'll give you that. I was brought here by some machine. I was greeted by a man in a military uniform."

"MacArthur," Francisco said.

Yukari was trying to piece together where Tagitsuhime came from and how she managed to get here. The phrases, "Not yet" and "brought here by some machine" rung in her head. Why did her payback involve that night where Kanami rescued Hiyori and why not when she was sealed away? She did say "not yet", though. Something she was kind of keeping a secret was that she was studying the relationship between time and the netherworld. Her interest came from the incident where the two young Toji became trapped in it for a few months. Can it be controlled?

She figured it out.

"Tagitsuhime! Everyone!" Yukari yelled as she quickly stood up.

"What do you want, castoff?"

"I think I have discovered something. This Tagitsuhime is not the same one you sealed away months ago," Yukari stated.

"Not the same one? What do you mean?" Ellen asked with a confused expression.

"Yes. What do you mean?" Suzuka asked. This was something unheard of to her.

"Are you saying there are two Tagitsuhimes?" Hiyori asked.

"Like another split?" Sayaka and Kanami asked at the same time.

"No. The same Tagitsuhime. From two different times."

"Two different times? What the hell does that mean?" Kaoru questioned.

"This aradama princess came from that night where Etou rescued Juujou. Simply put, she arrived here through time travel. Something MacArthur managed to do."

"Time travel?" Mai asked scared.

Oddly, this conversation was enough to keep Tagitsuhime interested.

"Wait. There's still something I'm not getting," Maki said.

"What is it?" Yukari asked without looking at her direction.

"If Tagitsuhime was brought here from the past, then why hasn't anything changed? Isn't it a rule that changing anything in the past changes the future?"

Kanami shook her head in agreement.

"I've been doing research. I've seen reports upon reports about this. This interest came from that incident where Etou and Juujou became trapped in the netherworld. I found that time travel does not work the way you think it does. Changing the past does not change the future."

"My head's starting to hurt. Can you elaborate?" Hiyori asked as she put her hand to her temple.

Yukari rolled over the white board that was located on the side to the front. She grabbed a marker and drew a line that ran from the left side of the board to the right. She marked the halfway point with an "x" and labeled it "A". She then put another "x" at the very right and marked that point "B".

"Point 'A' marks the events of that night. Point 'B' is where we are now. I can assume this happened. Tagitsuhime was pulled out of that night in point 'A' and brought to where we are now in point 'B'."

"Okay, then. What happens to the timeline if she was pulled out?" Francisco asked.

Yukari drew a slanted line from point 'A' and then made it run parallel to the original line.

"It created a new reality defined by the new line I drew. A reality where Tagitsuhime no longer exists. One where she disappeared without a trace. In that new timeline, what I feel should be met with celebration because of her disappearance is probably replaced by that of confusion in all parts of Japan."

"How do we reverse that? That sounds frightening," Mai commented.

"Tagitsuhime must be returned to her original time. Only then will the new reality disappear," Yukari answered.

"I'm not going back. Knowing that you will seal me away, why would I want to go back?" Tagitsuhime said with a smirk.

"What did that man promise you?" Francisco asked.

"He told me he'd do everything in his power to help me achieve my goal."

"That's bullshit. Yeah he'll help you achieve that but you don't know if he'll kill you right after. He'd say something along the lines of, 'I helped you achieve your dream. I never said I'd keep you alive any longer than that.'"

"What are you getting at?" Tagitsuhime asked with a snarl.

"He raised me. He's basically my father in a way. I know all the shit he pulls. He doesn't really lie but yeah."

The aradama princess simply turned around and tried to walk away. When Francisco tried to reach for her, she pulled out an okatana and tried to strike him. He countered her with the claws on his left hand.

Guards soon came rushing in and aimed their weapons at Tagitsuhime.

"Don't move!" yelled one of them.

"Wait!" Francisco disappeared and reappeared in front of Tagitsuhime to act as a shield. He turned to her, "What will it be?"

* * *

Note: There's that chapter. I think there are about three chapters left of this story. There might be less. I don't know. I'll see when I write again. I hope the explanation for time travel was clear. Maybe it might be a bit of a stretch that Yukari knows this but oh well.


	21. Chapter 19

Note: Hello, all. I hope you are all coping. The effect has really taken a toll on us on all levels. I do hope you are following the safety guidelines. Here is the next chapter. I am seeing that there are two more chapters left.

* * *

Chapter 19

"You son of a bitch!" yelled one of the soldiers from the Special Task Team as he punched Francisco in the jaw. The punch was strong enough to knock him down. Francisco was trying to recruit Tagitsuhime. He wanted her to join the team. The result backfired since Tagitsuhime disappeared from the room, leaving everyone to wonder where she ran off to.

As Francisco lay on the floor, the rest of the team came rushing in and all of them pointed their weapons at him. The sound of the guns made everyone in the room nervous. They feared the soldiers would start shooting and leave a bloody mess.

"Hey! Stop!" yelled Hiyori. She didn't want to risk getting close to the group.

"All right. That's enough," Yukari said as she walked over to the crowd of soldiers.

"But ma'am…" said the head soldier.

"Fuck. I know what I'm doing," Francisco said as he pushed some of the guns away and slowly got up.

"You let the bane of our existence escape. What the hell is this, 'I know what I'm doing'? Have you lost your mind? 'Cause I'll help you find it!" reprimanded the soldier.

"Like I said. I know what I'm doing. I'm not giving up on her."

"First we're trying to deal with MacArthur and now her. I'll let you handle this then. All on your own. Should a calamity happen just like the one we had a few months ago, I will personally hunt you down," said the soldier with a tone as serious as a heart attack.

"Go ahead then," Francisco replied back.

Simply turning around, the head soldier signaled for the rest of the team to follow him out of the office. Francisco can hear the muttering of the other soldiers as they walk away. The only thing he heard was, "Fucking ruined everything." The clatter of their gear caused by their walking was slowly fading away.

"I think you should stay here for a bit. I don't want the reporters to gather all around you for an interview," said Yukari.

"Whatever the result is, she's dead under MacArthur. I've witnessed him commit murder. Bloody murder at that. Whether through experiment or not."

"What did you see?" Mai asked.

"Have any of you ever seen a human head rupture?" The chilling question Francisco presented gave Maki and Suzuka goosebumps. It brought back that horrid memory of the ugly creature they encountered a while back.

"Stop! I don't want to hear it," Kanami pleaded as she covered her ears.

"We've actually fought something like that" Maki said, stepping forward.

"Really? What was it like?" Francisco asked.

"It was terrifying. An arrogant young man was challenging us to a fight. We fought him and things took a turn for the worse when we gave him substantial damage. The top half of his head ruptured and tentacles came out with a longer one that had a blade," Suzuka explained.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you," Hiyori commented. Kanami was still covering her ears. If this is what is to come, then she'd rather hide away and forget it all. At the same time, she needed to be brave to protect those she cared about.

"That was a parasitic Bloodshot. Those are actually fairly new. I believe it's a cross between the Plagas parasite that originated from Spain and the C-Virus," Francisco explained.

"Will your head explode?" Sayaka asked.

"No. I have the Omni virus. That one is the C-Virus."

"I heard that the virus cuts your lifespan. Do you know by how much, Francisco?" Ellen asked.

"I have no idea. I hope it's still a long time. MacArthur will go down before I do."

"If MacArthur had something like that, think about what else he has in stock. It could be things that are unimaginable." Yukari said. She seemed to be unfazed by what could be in store for all of them.

"Then we need to be ready. The…" Francisco stopped to count everyone in the room. "Ten of us. And that white one. Eleven. Eleven of us can bring him down. I just cannot guarantee everyone will make it out alive. Maybe we will. Who knows?"

Just like every mission they've ever been on, there was always a chance of death. This time, this prospect was different.

* * *

"It does not make any sense," Friedman said as he was looking at a computer screen. "What relationship does a virus have with noro?"

Richard Friedman was doing diligent research on the Omni virus in the Special Rare Metals Utilization Research Institute. The very same location where Mai and Ellen fought against the aradama princess. The lab he was located in was dimly lit. He was trying to see if it was possible to fuse the Omni virus with noro. What would be the result? Would an aradama born from this survive? Will it transcend a level greater than Tagitsuhime? Would any Toji be able to fight the creature born from this?

"I see you're immersed in that research," the chilling voice came from MacArthur who was standing at the doorway to the lab.

"MacArthur! What are you doing here?" Friedman said as he quickly stood up and with a hint of anger in his voice. At the same time, he was afraid. He firmly gripped the table with his right hand.

"I came here to catch up. It's been years since we have worked together. Is that correct?"

"Yes. I suppose it has been years."

MacArthur walked over to the computer and saw the pages the older man had open about the virus. He let out a whistle as he scanned the information presented.

"Busy work. Looks interesting," MacArthur said, impressed.

"How did you get in here?"

"Don't worry about that. I just wanted to talk."

"What are you trying to create here? What is this monstrosity?"

"I'm trying to create the ultimate soldier. One that is practically undefeatable."

"You're mad! Something as reckless as this goes against the laws of human nature. Even the Omni virus already went beyond that."

"No. You don't see things the way I do. Think of it as the next generation of soldiers."

"Suppose you create this, how would you know it's unbeatable?"

"I test it on Toji. It is a learning creature. The longer a Toji spends fighting it, the chances for her survival decreases. If it can kill a Toji with ease, then the next step would be to boost its intelligence to defeat harder foes. Why wait on testing the creature when we have Toji here?"

Friedman could not believe what he was hearing. MacArthur plans to commit mass murder for the sake of creating a monster that can not be defeated. He's seeing that the plan to make it stronger has flaws of some sort. He just can't point out what it is exactly? What does he mean by, "boost its intelligence"? By what means will that be done?

"I'm going to need your help," MacArthur said. His voice snapped the older man out of his thoughts.

"Absolutely not! You're asking me to commit mass homicide!"

"I know. You're thinking about your granddaughter, aren't you? What was her name? Ellen, was it?"

"I swear if you lay one finger on her."

"You'll do what? You're a powerless old man. Now. I need your help."

"I refuse!"

"Fine. I'll do it myself."

At that moment, MacArthur walked closer to Friedman. Making his hand into a fist, he impaled the older man with a punch to the chest. After pulling the fist from his chest, he fell to the floor. Friedman was struggling to breathe and after a few painful moments, he was gone. MacArthur stood there and looked at the old man's dead body. This was someone he used to work with.

"I'll gather the data myself."

As MacArthur was looking at the data present on the computer, he felt a striking pain in his heart. He felt as if he was having a heart attack and fell to the floor. He sat up, put a hand over his heart, and gripped.

"This virus is killing me. I know it is. I have to get a move on. This project will be finished."

Wanting to leave as fast as he could, he left everything the way it was. He didn't care if people accused him for Friedman's death. Part of him wanted people to know it was him. He would deal with those people accordingly. There was no way of knowing how much time he had left.


	22. Chapter 20

Note: Hello, all. It's been a while. I'm just finishing up the semester. Final projects have kept me really busy. This is the second to last chapter. I'll post final chapter very soon.

* * *

Chapter 20

"What the fuck happened?" Francisco asked. Francisco and Ellen were standing just outside the main driveway that led to the Special Rare Metals Utilization Research Institute. It was blocked by yellow tape. Francisco should be surprised but he isn't. He knows MacArthur is involved one way or another. Either directly or indirectly. Lately, he's been attributing any kind of misfortune to MacArthur. Dropping a cup of water, MacArthur. Self-inflicted injury from the claws, MacArthur. Accidently ripping a piece of paper, MacArthur. This time it was certain to be him.

"Let me in. My parents work here. I'm Ellen Kohagura and this is a friend," Ellen said. She was panicked. All Francisco did was wave his hand.

"Tread carefully, ma'am," The guard said as he raised the tape.

"Let's go see what the hell happened," Francisco said. They both ran as fast as they could. What worried Ellen was knowing that something had happened to someone in her family. They saw that the main entrance was also blocked by the yellow tape. Francisco pulled out his combat knife and cut through the tape. He wanted to use his claws but that will draw the kind of attention that he didn't need at the moment. From the main doorway, the sound of a woman's uncontrollable crying can be heard.

"Hey! That sounds like mom!" Ellen yelled. Ellen and Francisco ran as fast as they could to reach the source of the crying.

They both entered a room and Ellen saw her mother sitting on the floor while her father was embracing her. He had tears in his eyes as well.

"Mom! What happened?" Ellen asked, fearing the worst. Francisco only knew Ellen for a short while. Handling a sword and hearing this news, he can almost predict what she's going to do. He decided to hang on a bit.

"Oh Ellen… Dad's been killed!" It took her mother all her courage to say those heavy words.

"No… No…" Ellen managed to say. She stumbled back a bit. Her mind was completely empty. After a few moments, she fell to her knees. Her eyes appeared to be blank.

Ellen let out a yell of anger and sadness. She quickly got up, pulled out her okatana and activated her Utsushi. The tears in her eyes blurred her vision a bit but she didn't care. The only thing she wanted was revenge. She knew this was MacArthur's doing.

"Where are you going?" Francisco asked as he saw Ellen walk away.

"I'm killing that bastard MacArthur!" Ellen yelled.

"You're not going by yourself! That's suicide!"

"And who the hell are you to stop me? You're not part of the family. Don't meddle in my affairs!"

To stop Ellen from going any further, Francisco quickly dashed in front of her. He knows the danger of facing MacArthur alone. Ellen may be young but the despot will not back down because of that fact. The man has murdered people of all ages through experimentation. Ellen would not be an exception. If Ellen were gone, then what would become of her parents and the other Toji who consider her a close friend. When Francisco was in front of Ellen, he put his hands on her shoulders and tried to talk some sense into her.

"Let go of me!"

"You're going about this the wrong way. I said you're going to get your… Gahh!"

Francisco slowly looked down and saw that Ellen had impaled him. Ellen's mother gasped as she saw what Ellen had done. Swiftly, she pulled out her okatana, pushed Francisco a bit and slit his throat.

"Ellen!" her father yelled.

She only took this drastic measure because she knew he could heal. Otherwise, she wouldn't have. Francisco fell to the floor. He was using one hand to hold himself up and his other hand was over the wound on his neck. His hand was full of blood but both of the wounds quickly healed. Seeing as how the blonde girl wasn't going to stop, he pulled out the handgun. He aimed carefully and fired a bullet, being careful not to hit Ellen. The bullet missed Ellen's head by six inches (15 centimeters).

It's as if the bullet zooming past Ellen brought her back to her senses. Her eyes welled up with tears and she started crying. Her parents quickly rushed over to her to give her an embrace. Francisco thought it would be best not to interfere with the family moment.

"Come with us," an officer said, who was standing over Francisco. He helped Francisco stand up and handcuffed him. He wasn't surprised. In the moment when Ellen was going to make her way to MacArthur, he didn't know what else would grab her attention.

Francisco could only watch as Ellen was being comforted by her parents as he was being walked out by police. _I'll be back_, he thought.

* * *

At the base of a cliff, there was a shallow stream. The water was clear enough to see the details of the rocks on the floor. It was the perfect location for a picnic. Unfortunately, the scenery was ruined by a smashed vehicle in the flowing stream.

Francisco stood by and watched the burning car. His claws were drenched in blood. He went over to the stream and washed his claws. Out of curiosity, he walked towards the car and opened the passenger door with force. A body came out and the head rolled off the moment the body made contact with the water. The head went along with the stream but was stopped by a few rocks.

"What kind of monster am I?" Francisco asked in the most straightforward expression. There wasn't a hint of regret in his voice. He looked up and saw the ruined guardrail. He simply walked away from the scene and stopped until he felt he was far enough.

"Let's do this," Francisco said as he pulled out his claws. He was going to scale the cliff.

* * *

Richard Friedman's funeral was held a few days later. Only the closest to him were in attendance. Kanami was feeling a little guilty. She only wished she was strong enough to put an end to that man alone. She wished she could go back in time and actually do it but the apparent rules of time travel did not work like that. She looked over to Ellen and saw that she had a dead expression on her face. She never thought she would ever see her ecstatic friend in such a state. It kind of reminds her of how she was when she thought she lost Hiyori. She didn't want to talk to anybody. In this case, it was a family member. She remembered how happy Ellen was whenever they were reunited. She looked over to Hiyori and saw that sad expression on her face. She looked down and saw that she was moving her hand towards Hiyori's but quickly pulled it away. It's as if her hand had a mind of its own.

"I'll be back," Francisco said, standing up. He felt his heart racing.

"Where are you going?" Mai asked.

"I need a moment to myself."

When Francisco was far from the crowd, he stood behind a tree. His heart was still beating rapidly and was feeling dizzy. He didn't know if this had anything to do with the virus. After a few moments, he felt like he was back to normal. Not wanting to overthink it, he went back.

Akane didn't know how to feel. She was in the same room where the brutal crime happened. She left Friedman after she felt it was getting too late. He suggested that she should go home. What would've happened to her if she stayed?

Kaoru sat next to Ellen and the blonde girl's expression hurt her. They've known each other for a long time and Kaoru has never seen her like this. Kaoru wanted to help but she didn't know how to at the moment. She wanted revenge. Probably in the same way Ellen wanted.

_You're dead_, Kaoru thought.


	23. Final Chapter

Note: Hello, all. Here is the final chapter. Being so busy, I missed the one year anniversary which was on the 27th of April. Anyways, it was a fun one.

* * *

Final Chapter

Kanami and Mihono were sitting in President Hashima's office. Neither of them said a word. The older woman was standing in front of the window. She was staring at nothing in particular. Her mind was occupied by what MacArthur had done. Minutes ago, they were venting. Talking about the frustration of letting MacArthur kill someone very dear to them. If only they had acted sooner. Kanami was the first one to break the uncomfortable silence. It was driving her crazy and it made her feel guilty by the second.

"I'm sorry. If only I, or we, had acted sooner."

"Don't worry, dear. It's not your fault." Hashima looked back at Kanami with a smile. It really wasn't their fault. It would be unfair to pin this on one person.

"I know. It's just-"

"Look!" Mihono yelled, cutting Kanami off. She pointed to the window the woman was in front of. Kanami and Hashima looked in the direction Mihono was directing their attention to.

Outside the window, a large aircraft was approaching. Many of the Toji around campus stared in shock and some of them pulled out their okatanas and activated their Utsushi. Many cars that were driving by the school stopped. Some of the drivers stepped out to see what was going on. Several of them were already taking pictures and recording videos. The shadow that the ship was casting was truly terrifying. Many of the aircraft's ports opened and cannons came out. One of them pointed directly at the building where Kanami, Mihono, and Hashima were…

…and fired.

* * *

Note: That's it for this one. I do thank you for sticking around towards the end. I am thankful for the reviews. This was my first time writing so I apologize if parts were 'meh', confusing or something along those lines. This will obviously have a sequel. I will post the title soon. The idea for this chapter came from one of the post-credit scenes in Thor: Ragnarok. Therefore, I do see this as a post-credit scene of some sort given its length.


	24. Sequel Name

Hello, all. This is the title for the sequel. There is a small chance that it can change but this is it:

Viruses and the Noro: Decimation.


End file.
